NC State women’s basketball sputters offensively in 66-59 loss to Louisville

In big games, you need your best players to be at their best, and unfortunately that wasn’t the case for NC State against Louisville on Thursday night. Poor shooting plagued the Wolfpack for the bulk of the evening, putting it in a hole from which it could not escape.

NC State got out to a quick start but quickly began bricking its way to a deficit and trailed by 11 points after the first quarter. State generally is a good three-point shooting team but finished just 5-20 tonight, and was 1-14 heading into the fourth quarter.

Ace Konig missed all six of her three-point tries, and somehow, unbelievably, Elissa Cunane didn’t make a single two-pointer. Cunane was 1-12 from the field, her lone make a three-ball. I did not see that coming!

Cunane was an impact player on the boards and State did what it could on the offensive glass to generate second opportunities, but without Konig and Cunane contributing much offense, most of the night was a struggle. Kayla Jones and Jada Boyd played well but there were just too many off nights elsewhere.

Louisville was much better shooting the ball, and definitely the better team tonight.