In an instance of the proverbial “history repeating itself,” the No. 4 NC State women’s basketball team (12-1, 7-1 ACC) knocked off No. 1 Louisville (16-1, 9-1 ACC) 74-60 on the road on Monday, Feb 1. The Wolfpack’s second victory over a top-ranked team this season, after December’s victory over then-No. 1 South Carolina, saw the return of junior center Elissa Cunane from COVID-19 protocol and a 45-point second half from the Pack.
The first quarter would set the tone for the rest of the game, as the Wolfpack outrebounded the Cardinals 11-7, including a 3-0 lead in offensive rebounds. Senior forward Kayla Jones led the charge for NC State’s rebounders. Jones finished the contest with 13 total rebounds and four offensive rebounds, totals that led all players on either team.
“I thought we did a great job defensively and on the boards,” said head coach Wes Moore. “Those are the things that we have to do to be successful. Obviously, we had Elissa Cunane back; that was a big plus, and having four people in double figures and a lot of people contributing. It was just a great team win and I’m really proud of them.”
The top-ranked Cards would make the game competitive early on, as they made half of their shots from the field to even it up at 18-18 after one quarter. This first-quarter shooting performance featured two 3-pointers by Louisville guard Dana Evans, who would end the game with 29 points.
“She’s definitely a good player,” said graduate guard Raina Perez. “I know why she’s at the top of the ACC, the top of the nation. It was good going up against her, seeing that I can complete, seeing that I could stay with her.”
The second quarter was an anomaly in the game, as the two squads slugged out an 11-7 defensive battle that put the Wolfpack up by four heading into halftime. NC State and Louisville shot a combined 7-30 from the field in quarter two as the game suffered a scoring drought for nearly five minutes until senior guard Kai Crutchfield hit a free throw to put the Pack ahead 26-23 with 1:40 left in the half.
In a tale of two halves, the offense was turned up to 11 after halftime. This was particularly the case for NC State, as it posted at least 20 points in both of the latter quarters. This offensive surge was a team effort, as four Wolfpack players finished with 15 points or more, but sophomore wing Jakia Brown-Turner made her presence known as she finished with 16 points and led the team in field-goal attempts.
“Jakia is a special player, and we’re wanting her to expand her game,” Moore said. “Last year, as a freshman, she didn’t play like a freshman, especially in the conference tournament. We would not have won that one without Jakia. We want her to continue to improve and score at all three levels, not just sit at the three-point line, and I think she’s getting there.”
By the end of three quarters, NC State sported a five-point lead, but Moore’s game plan to push the pace would pay dividends in the final 10 minutes. The closing job was executed to perfection from the free-throw line, as the Wolfpack sank seven of seven shots from the charity stripe in the fourth quarter, adding to its 12-for-12 total on the night.
“Our game in general is to push in transition and get some points,” Perez said. “So that was our game plan going in: to push the ball like we usually do. It worked out for the most part, maybe we didn’t get a bucket every time, but we forced them to sprint back as well, so we were able to attack the basket this game and hit some shots too.”
Cunane, who put up 16 points and six rebounds over 30 minutes on the floor after her return from COVID-19 contact tracing protocols, deposited the final basket with 41 seconds to go, icing a 74-60 State win.
“In the first half, I came out and I was feeling it a little bit, but as soon as the game got going, I was good,” Cunane said. “In the second quarter, I had my energy up, and I had so much ready. It was good for the rest of the game.”
Now that the Wolfpack has defeated two No. 1 teams on the road, hopes are high for what the future could hold for NC State.
“I think if we keep doing what we’ve been doing — following the scout, rebounding, pushing — we can go pretty far,” Perez said. “We can go as far as we want. Beating another No. 1 team motivates us and I’m happy and excited to see where we can take this.”
The Pack will look to continue to its success when it faces the North Carolina Tar Heels on Sunday, Feb 7 at 2 p.m. in Chapel Hill. The game will be available on the ACC Network.
