The No. 10 NC State women’s basketball team survived a tough road test in Coral Gables, F.L., narrowly escaping Miami 50-48 as freshman win Jakia Brown-Turner knocked down a game-winning jumper with three seconds remaining.
On the heels of back-to-back losses, the Wolfpack (23-3, 12-3 ACC) overcame a horrendous shooting night, with Brown-Turner playing the hero as she hit the winning jump shot and scored a career-high 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting.
With the game tied at 48 after a Miami 3-pointer found the bottom of the net and fired the Hurricanes (13-13, 5-10 ACC) up, and just under 10 seconds on the clock, Brown-Turner went to work with the ball in her hands. The uber-talented freshman beat her defender off the dribble on the left wing and drove baseline to the basket. With her defender on her heels, Brown-Turner pulled up from about 14 feet out, splashing home the winning bucket and securing a much-needed win.
NC State’s offense continued its recent swoon, scoring just 11 points in each of the first two quarters. Luckily, its defense made up for the offense’s struggles, holding Miami to an equal 22 first-half points. With the Wolfpack struggling to score, Brown-Turner kept the team afloat, knocking down three 3-pointers in the first half as NC State shot just 30% from the field in the first 20 minutes.
The Pack’s offensive struggles continued into the second half as NC State shot 31% in the quarter and scored just one point the final 5:30 of the period, a lone free throw by sophomore center Elissa Cunane. The Wolfpack turned the ball over seven times in the quarter, committing typically uncharacteristic mistakes that have become all too common the last few games.
But the resilient Wolfpack buckled down when it mattered most, and as it continued to play elite defense on the Hurricanes, the offense finally came through in the fourth quarter. Layups by Brown-Turner and junior forward Kayla Jones kicked off the period and NC State seized the momentum, outscoring Miami 14-2 for an eight-minute stretch to take a 46-41 lead, its biggest lead of the game.
Miami scored a layup on the very next possession, and after Cunane missed a layup through contact on the ensuing possession, the Hurricanes drove down the court and drew a blocking foul on the layup. Both free throws were good, and all of a sudden NC State’s momentum had evaporated as the Wolfpack clung to a one-point lead.
With the game on the line, NC State did what most teams would do — it gave the ball to its best player and let her go to work. Cunane received an entry pass down low, took a power dribble and went up for a layup, drawing a foul in the process. The star center knocked down both free throws, putting the Wolfpack up three and ensuring a 3-pointer wouldn’t end the game. Those free throws proved huge as Miami hit its tying 3-pointer, but Brown-Turner’s heroics shut the door on any chance of an upset.
Brown-Turner and Cunane carried the load for NC State as the rest of the team struggled on offense. The duo combined for 33 points and shot 48% from the field, always there for a bucket when the offense was stagnant.
The Wolfpack will be back in action on Monday Feb. 24 when it takes on Duke in the annual Play4Kay game. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN2 as part of ESPN’s weekly “Big Monday” event.
