The NC State women’s basketball team put up triple-digit points to beat the St. Mary’s Gaels in Reynolds Coliseum on Sunday, Dec. 12. Freshman guard Aziaha James hit a 3 with less than 20 seconds on the clock, bringing the score to 101-73 and exciting the Reynolds crowd.
The win marked the 200th of head coach Wes Moore’s tenure at NC State, with the Wolfpack (10-1) simply outclassing the Gaels (5-4). The five starters were impressive, but eight other players checked in and combined for 52 points.
The first quarter did not start off very well offensively for either team; the Gaels had three quick turnovers and the Pack missed four straight shots. The Pack finally found a rhythm on offense and continued to dominate on defense, forcing three more turnovers and only allowing seven points, ending the quarter with a 25-7 lead.
The Pack scoring was spearheaded by senior center Elissa Cunane’s 13 points in just the first 10 minutes. She also collected seven rebounds, nearly completing a double-double in that short span. Cunane ended with 15 points and nine rebounds, scoring her 1,500th career point along the way.
“I just give it all to my teammates,” Cunane said. “They’re the ones who have to give me the ball, so I appreciate them for what they do for me.”
The second quarter saw 0 points from Cunane, yet still ended with 25 points from the Wolfpack. Eight different players scored in the quarter, despite only three assists. Junior center Camille Hobby ended with six points, one block and two offensive rebounds, scoring off of second chance points and good technique in the post.
The second half saw a lot of scoring from Saint Mary’s, and Moore was not happy with the lack of defense. The Pack allowed 22 points in the third quarter and 26 in the fourth.
“Defensively? A little disappointing,” Moore said. “We got beat on backdoors several times, we got beat off the bounce … so a little disappointing that we gave up 73 points.”
The Pack kept the points flowing in the second half, scoring 51 points as multiple bench players contributed to that total. James finished with 11 points and five rebounds in 18 minutes. Freshman guard Jessica Timmons also had plenty of playing time and cashed in nine points, including an impressive and-one layup.
“[The freshmen] are making an impact right now, but they are also the future,” Moore said. “It’s exciting to see what they’re able to do right now.”
NC State takes on the Georgia Bulldogs on Thursday, Dec. 16 in Reynolds. This will be the last nonconference game before the long stretch of ACC games, starting with the Virginia Cavaliers.
