After last season’s upset over No. 1 seeded Duke, N.C. State was unable to repeat in this season’s Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament at Greensboro Coliseum Friday afternoon. The No. 8 seeded Wolfpack (16-16, 7-11 ACC), fell to the again top-seeded Blue Devils (28-2, 17-1 ACC), 79-65.
“It hurts for us to come up short,” head coach Kellie Harper said. “Our team had an amazing mindset of going into the tournament and to this game.”
In what is likely her final game against an ACC opponent, senior guard Marissa Kastanek led State with 18 points and grabbed two rebounds. The Lincoln, Neb. native made seven of 16 baskets on the floor, including two of eight attempts beyond the arc.
“It was my last game in the ACC tournament,” Kastanek said. “We fought hard as a team, and I’m proud of all of my teammates “
Junior center Markeisha Gatling led the Pack in rebounds with nine and added 16 points in the contest. Gatling fouled out with 1:50 remaining in the second half.
“Markeisha Gatling gave us a presence, and she was a dominant factor in this game,” Harper said. “She just makes a difference. She is such a talent.”
Junior guard Myisha Goodwin-Coleman also reached double digits, collecting 12 points against Duke, all of which came from three-point range. Goodwin-Coleman made four of 10 shots beyond the arc.
State kept the deficit close early, but the Devils pulled ahead by jumping on a 14-3 run. They took a 27-17 lead with 8:45 remaining in the first half. The Pack attempted a comeback and cut the deficit to as low as four, but still trailed by nine at the half.
State surged back once the second half started, holding Duke scoreless on the floor within the first four minutes of the period. The Pack managed to cut the Devils’ advantage to only two points at that mark. With 12:36 remaining, Kastanek came up with a steal, drove down the court and finished the play with a layup to the game at 49.
Following a successful Duke free throw, Gatling made a layup and Goodwin-Coleman hit a three to give State a four-point advantage with 10:36 to go.
“We played really well together, and we never quit,” Kastanek said.
The Devils began to charge with 7:02 remaining after a Kastanek layup. Duke held the Pack without a basket for more than three minutes and went on a 12-1 run before State’s next basket. The Devils finished the game on a 26-8 run.
“When [the Blue Devils] took the lead, I think we panicked a little bit,” Harper said. “We rushed some things, but I thought they key was that they got free for a few shots and knocked them down.”
Duke was led by junior guard Tricia Liston, who scored 26 points and grabbed 11 boards in the game. Liston made six of 10 baskets from three-point range and hit all four free throws.
“The number one thing on the scouting report for Tricia Liston is not to allow threes,” Harper said. “I think everybody in the gym knows that. We were not focused on a few of their offensive sets that they ran for her.”
State shot 41.7 percent on the floor, 33.3 percent behind the three-point arc and made seven of 11 free throws in the loss.
Haper said the team will likely accept a Women’s National Invitational Tournament bid upon invitation. The WNIT field will be officially announced on Monday, March 18.