Only five minutes into N.C. State’s season opener, the women’s basketball team already had a 13-2 lead and had forced five turnovers.
Even though High Point would come within two points late in the first half, the Panthers (0-1) never proved much of a challenge as the Wolfpack (1-0) went on to win 78-48 on Thursday night at Reynolds Coliseum in the first round of the 2006 Preseason Women’s National Invitation Tournament.
Coach Kay Yow, whose Pack forced 22 turnovers in the game, said her team wanted to press early on against the Panthers, who finished 20-10 last season and are predicted to finish second in the Big South Conference.
“We really hoped to do that,” Yow said. “We absolutely want to extend the game some. We don’t want to get into the half court game at this time.”
Junior forward Khadijah Whittington, who had her sixth-career double-double, finished the game with a team high 18 points and 15 rebounds. But 12 of her points came in the second half.
“I started off really slow,” Whittington said. “Coach told the posts that we needed an inside presence. I was just standing around watching, so I looked to post more.”
Yow said despite the stats, she believed Whittington could play better.
“I got to tell you I don’t even think she played a great game,” Yow said. “I really don’t. That’s what I like about that for her to not have a great game, and she has those stats, I’m waiting for the great game.”
Eleven players saw minutes with each member playing at least five minutes. The four players who played more than 25 minutes all scored in double figures, Whittington, freshman guard Nikitta Gartrell, senior guards Ashley Key and Marquetta Dickens.
This year’s squad contains six freshmen, five of which played in the opener. Gartrell posted 13 points on 6-of-14 shooting while other freshman starter, Megan Zullo, didn’t score in 17 minutes while going 0-for-6 from the field.
But Key said she was still pleased with the play of the freshman guards, even with a poor shooting night.
“It’s their first real game, real experience,” Key said. “The fact that they came out and played hard even though they weren’t shooting well…they played hard on the defensive end.”
After the game, Yow spoke to the crowd about St. John’s, a team the Pack expected to play going into the second round of the WNIT Tournament.
However, after the game, the team learned that Iona, a team who finished last season 17-12 and is picked to win the MAC this season, upset St. John’s on the road, 66-56, in another first-round game.
Yow said she had planned for St. John’s, but when she learned Iona won, she insisted her team would know plenty about its opponent before the game, which takes place at Reynolds Coliseum on Sunday at 2 p.m.
“I really don’t know one thing about Iona at this time, but I will before we practice tomorrow,” Yow said.
