The NC State women’s basketball team had four players score in double figures as it beat the Clemson Tigers 86-65 for a bounce-back win on Thursday, Feb. 11 in Reynolds Coliseum.
After getting a huge win over then-No. 1 Louisville last week and following that up with a stunning upset loss at North Carolina this past Sunday, Feb. 7, the Wolfpack (13-2, 8-2 ACC) took care of business against the Tigers (10-8, 5-8 ACC) as senior forward Kayla Jones scored a team-high 21 points, sophomore wing Jakia Brown-Turner had 13, sophomore center Camille Hobby had 12 and junior center Elissa Cunane had 11.
“We didn’t play like ourselves against UNC, so it was very important to get back to playing the way we play,” Brown-Turner said.
Perhaps venting some of the frustration from the loss against UNC, NC State started the game red-hot, scoring the first 12 points and going up 17-2 just over halfway into the first quarter. The team ended the quarter up 28-9 after shooting 55% from the field. Jones and Cunane combined to score 20 of the team’s points in the first 10 minutes.
“Real pleased with the way we got out to a good start and set the tone,” said head coach Wes Moore. “We were able to get a little bit of momentum going.”
The Pack cooled off a little in the second quarter while the Tigers got it going offensively, but the Pack was still up 47-30 at halftime. Jones had 16 points by the break on 6-for-7 shooting, including 3-for-3 from beyond the arc.
The Pack heated back up in the third quarter, shooting 60% while holding the Tigers to 33.3% to take a 68-45 lead going into the fourth quarter. By the end of the third, all four of the Pack’s double-figure scorers had reached the double digit mark, and the quarter was capped off by a nice buzzer-beating 3 by graduate guard Raina Perez.
The team then closed out strong in the fourth quarter to clinch its second win in its last three games.
NC State finished the game shooting 51.5% from the field, including 47.6% from beyond the arc, while also outrebounding the Tigers 41-36 and racking up 21 assists.
In the two games prior to the loss against UNC, Jones had failed to reach double figures, but she seems to have found her rhythm again after scoring 13 against the Tar Heels and with her performance against the Tigers.
“Just knowing what I can do and just letting the game come to me,” Jones said on what the difference has been for her. “It has been frustrating. My offensive game has not been there…So just a lot of time to myself and getting in the gym and trying to figure things out.”
If the last week and a half has taught the Pack anything, it’s that this team is capable of beating anyone in the country and playing exceptionally every game, but even the best teams in the country can be beaten on any given night.
“We’re going to get everybody’s A-game, and they’re going to come at us,” Moore said. “We can’t be on our heels. We’ve got to be ready to fight and battle…We need some people to get mad and make sure everybody on the team is focused, on edge and has urgency.”
Next up, NC State hosts Notre Dame next Monday in the 16th Annual Play4Kay Game at 5 p.m. inside Reynolds Coliseum. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2.
Junior center Elissa Cunane shoots against Clemson on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021 at Reynolds Coliseum. Cunane recorded 11 points and eight rebounds as the Wolfpack won 86-65.
