The NC State women’s basketball team defeated former ACC rival Maryland 74-60 on Sunday at Reynolds Coliseum in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to secure the Pack’s first Sweet 16 appearance since 2007.
NC State (26-8, 11-5 ACC) held the Terrapins (26-8, 12-4 Big Ten), who entered the game averaging 80 points per game and ranking 10th in the nation in 3-point shooting, to 20 points below their season average and zero made 3-pointers.
“All year long, this group has just battled,” head coach Wes Moore said. “Really proud of them.”
NC State started hot during the first quarter, with a 3-pointer from redshirt junior guard Kiara Leslie, playing against her former team, putting the Pack up 12-4 early in the first. After the Wolfpack stretched its lead to 18-9, two free throws at the end of the quarter from Maryland guard Ieshia Small put the score at 18-11 to end the quarter.
With the score at 20-13 in favor of the Wolfpack a minute into the second quarter, Leslie stole the ball and drove coast-to-coast for a layup then did the exact same thing, snagging a steal on defense and euro-stepping around the Maryland defender for the layup to push the Wolfpack lead to 24-13.
The Terrapins responded with an 8-0 run to narrow the score to 24-21. The teams would then trade buckets for the rest of the quarter, with the Wolfpack leading 32-26 at the end of the half.
With the Wolfpack’s lead evaporating early in the third quarter, senior forward Chelsea Nelson drove to the lane for a layup that kickstarted a 19-4 NC State run and essentially put the game away.
The Wolfpack closed out the third quarter with three 3-pointers in a row, one from sophomore guard Aislinn “Ace” Konig and two from freshman guard Kai Crutchfield, to put the Pack up 56-40 at the end of the quarter.
With the Wolfpack up 56-42 and Maryland fighting to get back into the game, Konig drilled a 3-pointer and the Wolfpack forced a turnover on the defensive end, leading to a Nelson layup that gave the Wolfpack its largest lead of the game, 61-42.
Maryland scratched and clawed its way to get back into the game, cutting the lead down to as few as 11 points, but two quick buckets from senior center Akela Maize and redshirt sophomore guard Kaila Ealey put the Wolfpack up an insurmountable 15 points with 3.5 minutes to play.
Leslie was excellent on the defensive end, holding Maryland’s leading scorer, guard Kaila Charles, who averages 18 points per game, to just four points on 2-of-8 shooting and forcing her to foul out late in the fourth quarter. Leslie attributed her defensive performance on Charles to her knowledge of Charles’s tendencies.
“I knew she likes to drive right,” Leslie said. “So I tried to sit on her right hand and give her a little bit of space.”
In an all-around superb defensive performance, Konig completely shut down Maryland’s leading 3-point shooter, Kristen Confroy, holding her scoreless. Confroy hit 76 3-pointers on the season and Konig harassed her the entire game, consistently chasing her off the 3-point line and limiting Confroy to zero 3-point shot attempts.
NC State head coach Wes Moore was effusive in his praise of Konig’s and Leslie’s defense.
“Ace likes challenges like that,” Moore said. “Great job defensively by those two.”
Leslie scored 21 points on 7-for-14 shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds, leading both teams in both categories.
Konig and Ealey rounded out the double-digit scorers, with 12 points apiece.
NC State’s two seniors, Nelson and Maize, were obvious with their excitement about advancing to the Sweet 16.
“[Advancing to the Sweet 16] means a great deal to us,” Maize said.
The Wolfpack will be playing in its first Sweet 16 game since Kay Yow was the coach of the team. Moore recognized that Yow would appreciate this iteration of the Wolfpack’s run.
“I think she’d be proud of this team,” Moore said.
Knowing the Wolfpack will likely take on last year’s national championship runner-up Mississippi State, Maize was adamant that the Wolfpack won’t back down.
“Whether we’re the underdog or we’re on the top, it is the same fight.” Maize said.
NC State will take on Mississippi State or Oklahoma State in the Sweet 16 on Thursday or Friday.
Senior forward Chelsea Nelson takes a jump shot against Maryland on Sunday, March 18. Nelson scored 10 points on 5-10 shooting along with 7 rebounds. The Wolfpack won 74-60 to advance to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament.
