With three losses in its last four games and an 0-1 record in the ACC after a loss to Maryland eight days ago, the women’s basketball team is looking to break its winless streak in 2007 and notch its first ACC win tonight against Boston College.
The game is the first of two against the Eagles this season with today’s game in Chestnut Hill, Mass., at 7 p.m.
N.C. State’s last defeat was a seven-point loss to Xavier, 76-69 on Jan. 7. However, even with the loss, junior forward Khadijah Whittington tallied her 12th career double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds while freshman center Chanita Jordan got a career high in points and rebounds with 12 and eight, respectively.
Interim coach Stephanie Glance said with Jordan now being healthy, the team should have more depth in the post.
“She’s a 6-foot-5 freshman, and we need her size,” Glance said. “She was able to give us good minutes at Xavier, but again, she’s a freshman, as are the other freshmen, who are seeing more and more time.”
And it is size they will need because the Eagles’ top scorer and rebounder is 6-foot-4 senior forward Kathrin Ress — a post player the Wolfpack will need to slow down if it wants to compete, according to Glance.
Ress is averaging 18.1 points per game with 8.8 rebounds and has led Boston College to a 10-5 record overall and an 0-1 mark in the ACC.
Despite the loss of a few starters from last season, Whittington said the Eagles have a balanced attack with Ress being the go-to player.
“We know they lost some key players last year,” Whittington said. “I’ve already watched some film, and they look like their biggest scorer is inside and they are also a pretty good shooting team.”
However, she said it is nice knowing the Pack has plenty of size to guard the 6-foot-4 forward from Salerno, Italy.
“It’s a great feeling — we have the size,” Whittington said. “Instead of me playing center, we have Chanita, Gigi [Gillian Goring] and we have Sasha.”
On the offensive side of the ball, Glance said the team has to work on not being passive.
“We have to attack them offensively — they have a couple new players in the lineup,” Glance said. “One is a freshman from Sweden who is playing a lot of minutes and is very productive.”
Because of the number of players the Pack plays, Glance said the team should not worry about being tired — because there is someone always ready off the bench.
With the depth, senior forward Keisha Brown said the team has to do a better job of staying close in the game. And according to Brown, it would be even better if the Pack could get an early lead and then hold off the opponent.
“We have to play for the full 40 minutes with no let-ups,” Brown said. “And then, hopefully that can give us the lead early on.”
