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At least we can count on the Wolfpack Women to help keep us sane this time of year. NC State used a dominant third quarter and a strong overall second half to erase a six-point halftime deficit at UNC and defeat the Tar Heels.
Chapel Hill has been a trouble spot for the Pack over the last couple of years, and it wasn’t surprising to see UNC give them a tough shot. Fortunately, it wasn’t good enough.
Four Factors
| ... | NC State | UNC |
|---|---|---|
| ... | NC State | UNC |
| eFG% | 51.7 | 36.2 |
| TO% | 22.6 | 15.1 |
| OR% | 34.4 | 33.3 |
| FTR | 10.2 | 21.5 |
Pace and Efficiency
| Team | Pts | Poss | OFF_EFF | DEF_EFF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Pts | Poss | OFF_EFF | DEF_EFF |
| NC State | 66 | 66 | 100.0 | 87.9 |
| UNC | 58 | 66 | 87.9 | 100.0 |
Both teams struggled to shoot the ball in the first half, but State’s offense kicked it into high gear over the final 20 minutes while the Heels’ woes continued. State shot 53.6% in the second half, including 7-11 shooting from three.
NC State began the third quarter on a 14-0 run keyed by 12 points combined from Elissa Cunane and Kai Crutchfield. A Raina Perez three with three minutes left pushed the advantage to 13—so over the course of those seven minutes, the Pack out-scored UNC by 19.
State took a six-point edge into the fourth quarter, then pushed ahead by 14 before weathering a late Tar Heel run. Crutchfield’s triple with 1:12 left pushed the score to 66-58 and was the dagger that ended UNC’s remaining chances.
Kai played great all afternoon, finishing with a game-high 16 points on 6-11 shooting. She knocked down four three-pointers. Jakia Brown-Turner added 13, Cunane scored 11, and Raina Perez had 10.
NC State will be back at it in South Bend on Tuesday night.