For the third consecutive NCAA Tournament, the NC State women’s basketball team has reached the Sweet 16, this time after a 79-58 first-round win over North Carolina A&T and a 79-67 second-round win over South Florida.
While the final scores may not be the biggest indication, the Pack was pushed and tested in each game. The Pack trailed N.C. A&T by as much as six in the second quarter and trailed USF by one at halftime before taking control of each game in the second half.
While some may have enjoyed a more wire-to-wire victory in each contest, the Pack will benefit from the way it was pushed and tested, as it continues to strive towards its ultimate goal, which is to win the national championship.
The Pack learned from the first two rounds that every game is going to be a battle, and all it takes is one bad night for everything the team has worked so hard for the entire season to come to an end. The team got all it could handle from N.C. A&T and USF, and it’s going to be like that the rest of the way.
Basketball is a team sport, and a team doesn’t win a championship just by riding one player all the way to the promised land; it takes a group effort. In its first two games, the Pack got key contributions from a number of usually role players.
Sophomore forward Jada Boyd had 18 points in each game, and sophomore wing Jakia Brown-Turner had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in the win over N.C. A&T and a game-high 19 points in the win over USF.
Additionally, senior guard Kai Crutchfield has scored in double figures in each contest and is 7 for 8 from 3-point range through both games. The Pack even got key minutes from freshman guard Genesis Bryant, who played 25 minutes through both games after having not seen action since Feb. 11.
Junior center Elissa Cunane is the team’s best player and the go-to option any time the team needs a bucket, but the Pack is most dangerous when its other players step up and contribute. That was especially critical in the most recent contest, as the team was without senior forward Kayla Jones, who has been a key contributor the whole season. Her status for the rest of the tournament is unknown at this point.
In each game, the Pack has gotten the best effort from its opponents. While the games have been close for a period of time, the Pack has made adjustments and taken care of business, which is a testament to the coaching and the resiliency of the players. That’s a big advantage, as the competition is only going to get tougher from here on out.
The first two games served as a wake-up call for how the tournament is going to be, and it’s better to get that wake-up call sooner rather than later. If it wants to keep winning, the Pack must keep getting contributions from numerous players and make adjustments when necessary.
The team is playing for a fanbase that is desperate for a championship, and there’s a lot riding on this tournament run. If the first two games are any indication, the Pack has what it takes to handle pressure.
NC State will face fourth-seeded Indiana Saturday, March 27 at 6 p.m. on ESPN2 before a potential Elite Eight matchup with second-seeded Texas A&M or another team that makes a run from the other side of the Mercado Region.
