The NC State women’s basketball team defeated the Virginia Tech Hokies 68-55 in the team’s first game of the 2021 ACC Tournament behind a career-defining performance from junior center Elissa Cunane.

In a highly anticipated matchup with Virginia Tech stars Elizabeth Kitley and Aisha Sheppard, the Pack came out victorious, powered by 27 points, nine rebounds and two steals from Cunane, and 13 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks from sophomore forward Jada Boyd.

“Proud of our team, the way they hung in there,” said head coach Wes Moore. “I thought we handled things pretty well. Elissa Cunane, obviously she makes a big difference, so having her in this game obviously was really, really a big part of it.”

Cunane and Kitley both hail from Summerfield, North Carolina, attending separate high schools in Guilford County. Cunane missed both of the Pack’s regular season matchups with the Hokies, making the battle inside worth watching. The excitement around that matchup paid off, with the pair accounting for 47 combined points, 38% of all points scored.

“I always love playing against [Kitley] because she’s my friend and also a great post player,” Cunane said. “So playing against her, I learn a lot about myself and I feel like my game grows. It’s just cool to play against somebody from my hometown…I think us being friends and Cayla [King] too, it’s really turned NC State-Virginia Tech into a rivalry.”

While the Wolfpack got a huge boost from Cunane and Boyd, it saw other key contributions from its role players on a night that other stars senior forward Kayla Jones and sophomore wing Jakia Brown-Turner were off.

Graduate guard Raina Perez played in all 40 minutes of the game, scoring eight points and six assists. Meanwhile, senior guard Kai Crutchfield came in clutch at the end of the game with some key free throws and finished with seven points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals.

As expected, the game began as a showcase of the sheer talent both teams have in the post, with Kitley and Cunane accounting for 12 of the game’s first 21 points. On one particular play early in the first quarter, Cunane smothered Kitley and cut off an inside pass from Sheppard to steal the ball and make it down the court for an easy indoor cut by beating Kitley.

There were seven lead changes in the first quarter, indicative of the battle to come for the Wolfpack. The Hokies handed NC State one of its only two losses in the regular season and joined the Pack as the only other team with two unanimous All-ACC first team selections with Kitley and Sheppard.

“We didn’t shoot it great from outside, so I’m proud of them for being able to defend and rebound and do the other things, so that was good,” Moore said. “But we’ve got to be smart and pick our opportunities to take that shot, and other times maybe slow down and work the ball a little bit.”

The second quarter began as a sluggish defensive battle as the Pack opened the quarter with Cunane on the bench, though the team ultimately won those minutes. After Cunane checked back in, the ball movement was much improved, which was highlighted on a possession in which the Wolfpack tricked the Hokies’ double team into the wrong switch, ultimately finding Crutchfield open for a 3-pointer.

Once Cunane checked in, the Pack outscored Virginia Tech 13-7 in a scrappy battle that saw both teams account for 13 combined fouls by the end of the half. In the anticipated center matchup down low, NC State won the first-half battle, beating the Hokies 18-6 in the paint. NC State also outscored Virginia Tech 13-2 in bench points, another key area that the Pack excelled in.

At the end of the first half, Cunane had nine points and three rebounds, while the Wolfpack’s Co-Sixth Player of the Year, Boyd, accounted for nine points, five rebounds, two blocks and a steal. Boyd’s best play of the half came on a drawn charge on Azana Baines, igniting the Pack bench and the crowd.

“[Boyd] shows us why she was the Sixth Player of the Year,” Cunane said. “She’s able to step out on the court and make a difference as soon as she gets out there and she’s so explosive. When the guards were shoving a little bit she was able to step in there, defend and just attack, and they couldn’t guard her inside. She’s unstoppable.”

Notably, NC State held Sheppard and Kitley to a combined 4 of 16 from the floor in the first half. While Kitley finished with 20 points, Sheppard finished with just six points on 2-of-15 shooting and went 0 for 6 from deep.

Never to be counted out, Virginia Tech got right back into the game in the third quarter, cutting the lead to 43-39 at one point. Cunane and Boyd were once again the saviors for the Pack, with Cunane getting up to 17 points in the quarter and Boyd collecting her third block of the game. At the end of the period, the Summerfield-native centers Cunane and Kitley had 33 combined points.

“We’re pretty familiar with each other, so it’s like being home again,” Kitley said. “I think we both like playing against each other because I think it makes us both better.”

However, after Kitley cut the lead to six points to start the fourth period, NC State scored nine of the next 11 points, highlighted by a huge 3-pointer from Perez on a night that the Wolfpack wasn’t clicking from deep. After that score, Cunane scored eight points within the last five minutes to come within one point of her career high and secure the Wolfpack win.

“There was definitely a lot to play for today,” Cunane said. “I had some time to make up after not playing Virginia Tech the first two times this season, and we’re on a bigger stage now. It’s tournament time. One loss and you’re out, so we really have all notches turned up, offensive and defense.”

Next up, the Pack will take on the winner of the Georgia Tech-Clemson game that tips at 8:30 p.m. in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament Saturday, March 6 at 2:30 p.m.

“Hopefully, we can get back on track,” Moore said. “Because definitely Elissa is better when we’re knocking some 3s down around her. Hopefully we can get that going tomorrow. Again, the first game here I do sometimes think it’s a little tough, so hopefully we got it out of our system.”