Coach Kellie Harper got the 100th win of her career Friday night as the Wolfpack (3-1) dismantled the Wildcats from Davidson (0-3) 79-54. From the opening tip-off, the Pack dominated the game, leading almost every category on the night including rebounds, three point percentage, field goal percentage and most importantly, the final score.
The Pack seized the lead early and never allowed Davidson back into the contest. Harper said the Pack recovered well from a surprising loss to Vermont last weekend.
“Im very proud of this win, especially the defense,” Harper said. “I thought our energy level tonight was very high, which was part of our game plan.”
State had four players score in double digits: juniors Tia Bell and Brittany Strachan, who scored 15 and 10 points respectively, sophomore Bonae Holston, who had a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds and freshman Marissa Kastanek, who scored in double digits for the third time on the young season with 11 points.
At one point in the first half, the Pack tripled the Wildcats’ score at 30-10. Davidson struggled early, taking three team fouls in the first minute of play and 10 teams fouls before the midway point of the first half.
The Wolfpack went in to the locker room with a cushioned 41-15 lead.
Coach Harper had plenty of experience against the Wildcats during her coaching tenure at Western Carolina. Both WCU and Davidson are in the Southern Conference.
Harper said that worked to her team’s advantage.
“Early in the season we don’t get the opportunity to watch many teams on film because they haven’t played many games,” Harper said. “For me to already know Davidson was a great sigh of relief because I not only knew their plays, but I knew their philosophy.”
The second half was dominated by the Wolfpack just like the first. Kastanek led the team in successful shots behind the arc with two.
The team consensus is that its members are still learning Harper’s new system and continue to improve each day.
“We are bonding, and each day we need to work on knowing where each player in going to be,” Kastanek said. “We are learning each day where each [teammate] is going to cut.”
Bell echoed her sentiments.
“We are coming in with a lot of hard work and intensity, and eventually the execution will come,” Bell said. “We are trying to apply what we learned in practice to games”.
When asked about her milestone 100th victory, Harper was predictably modest.
“I’m not sitting in my office calculating my wins,” Harper said. “I’m more worried about getting wins for theses girls.”
The Wolfpack will take its first road trip when it takes on the Lady Monarchs from Old Dominion Monday night in Norfolk, Va. at 7 p.m.
