No. 5 NC State women’s basketball gutted out a 79-61 win over the Illinois State Redbirds on Sunday, Dec. 3. The Wolfpack totaled 17 assists in a game that highlighted the team’s strong chemistry.
It was clear from the jump that the Pack (9-0) had a large physical advantage over Illinois State (6-2), and graduate center River Baldwin was quick to capitalize, scoring 10 of her 14 points in the first quarter to spark the Wolfpack’s offensive attack. Over the course of the game, NC State scored 38 points in the paint to the Redbirds’ 16.
“There’s quite a size discrepancy in the lane — so when we got by you’re met with 6-5,” said Illinois State head coach Kristen Gillespie. “We don’t see that often.”
NC State played a clean, tight offense with strong fundamentals and navigated the first quarter with caution, careful not to slip up against a lower-level team. The Wolfpack started off leading in the game with junior guard Aziaha James and Baldwin both scoring in the first minute.
While the Pack led a balanced attack, Illinois State scored only on 3-pointers in the first quarter and struggled to create any opportunities inside the arc. Of the Redbirds’ 11 field goal attempts in the first quarter, nine of them were 3-pointers. But despite Illinois State’s difficulty in penetrating NC State’s defense, the Redbirds entered the second quarter trailing by just six points, 21-15.
NC State loosened its grip in the second frame, making careless mistakes it had avoided in the first quarter that allowed a pesky Illinois State team to hang around.
Unnecessary fouls and poor shot selection bothered the Pack in the second, most likely issues that arose from head coach Wes Moore’s decision to incorporate more freshmen into the rotation. The difference between Baldwin’s presence in the post and that of freshman center Mallory Collier was night and day — as the Redbirds began to get more comfortable scoring inside, Baldwin quickly reentered the game.
After a few minor slip ups, the Wolfpack soon realized that this wasn’t an opponent it could easily cruise past and made it a point to clean up its mistakes. In particular, NC State struggled to shut down 5-foot-4 Illinois State guard Caroline Waite, who led all scorers with 23 points despite her small stature.
“[The Redbirds] were an NCAA tournament team last year,” said graduate forward Mimi Collins. “That was what Coach Moore was stressing to us. We couldn’t walk in like it was a dog park. So as you saw, we tried to fix our mistakes that we had from Rhode Island and the non conference games.”
NC State came out of the locker room with renewed energy after the half, scoring just eight seconds into the third quarter. In a continued effort to revitalize both the offense and the defense, the Pack began to full-court press midway through the period, intimidating Illinois State with its speed and length and forcing a 10-second violation.
The Wolfpack guards took on a larger role in the third quarter, capitalizing on shots from the field and attacking the basket to get to the free throw line. James racked up 12 of her team-high 16 points in the third quarter, nine of which came from 3-pointers.
Nearly an all freshmen lineup started in the final quarter that showed a low performance, revealing a blend of potential and inexperience. Ultimately, Illinois State outscored the Pack 18-15 in the quarter.
Overall, the Wolfpack played well as a team with no one player taking it upon themselves to carry the load. The Redbirds posed an unexpected challenge to the NC State, but games like this will ultimately help the team in the long run.
Up next, NC State will host Liberty at Reynolds Coliseum on Sunday, Dec. 10 at 2 p.m.
