NC State women’s hoops beats Boston College, advances to ACC tournament title game

NC State used a huge second quarter to build an insurmountable lead on Boston College and took the game, 82-75, to advance to its first ACC tournament title game appearance since 2010. The Wolfpack didn’t need to carry this one with its defensive effort.

The Pack was a good bet to shoot the ball better than it did on Friday and that’s what happened, though early on Boston College was up to the challenge. The Eagles shot 11-14 during the first quarter to take a one-point lead into the second, but that’s when BC’s offense fell apart and NC State took full advantage.

The Wolfpack outscored BC 25-6 in the second quarter for a total of 48 first-half points and an 18-point halftime lead. Boston College caught fire once again in the fourth quarter, but by then the Eagles were too far behind to alter the outcome.

NC State had no trouble maintaining its big lead for most of the second half, and Elissa Cunane didn’t have to play much—she logged just one minute in the second half. Wes Moore went deep into the bench rather than keep his starters on the floor and try to extend the lead.

Nobody played more than 30 minutes, and Cunane will be fresh for the ACC title game on Sunday afternoon. Reserves like Kaila Ealey, Jada Boyd, and Erika Cassell got 10+ minutes each, and Boyd responded with 16 points on 7-10 shooting. Boyd’s been inconsistent this season and her minutes have been all over the place, but she was a top-100 recruit for a reason.

Cunane still scored 11 points despite taking almost the entire second half off, and Ace Konig was 4-10 from deep on the way to 16 points.

NC State will meet fourth-seeded Florida State with the ACC title on the line at noon tomorrow.