WINSTON-SALEM — Tiffany Stansbury had another stellar performance for the women’s basketball team this weekend, but it wasn’t enough for N.C. State as it fell to Wake Forest, 65-64.
For the second time in just over a week, Stansbury recorded a double-double, this time tallying 17 points and 14 rebounds at Lawrence Joel Coliseum in Winston-Salem on Saturday afternoon.
With the second half just underway, Stansbury already had 12 points and eight rebounds, but with less than 17 minutes remaining in the game, she went down with an ankle injury.
“I don’t think I stepped on anybody’s foot,” Stansbury said. “I just came down wrong and it just popped, I just twisted it and it popped. It’s a little sore but it’s OK.”
After being helped off the court, the absence of Stansbury was noticeable. The Demon Deacons took the ball inside and began to overpower the Pack in the paint.
Three minutes later, Stansbury felt she was ready to go back in the game and Coach Kay Yow agreed.
Even with Stansbury back in the game, State was unable to swing the momentum back its way. Stansbury didn’t score in the second half until she made a lay-up and a free throw with just more than 13:00 remaining in the second half.
Stansbury said the difference in the game was that the Demon Deacons played harder.
“They really picked up their intensity and we didn’t,” Stansbury said. “That was the difference.”
After the game, Yow said Stansbury and the rest of the team needs to move on and worry about the next game.
“I’ve been on the end of a big loss before and you just want to push a button and go through the floor because you realize it’s gone and they’re not going to get it back,” Yow said. “It’s just out of control. The only thing you can do is just come back and forget that game and start over.”
Since the break, Stansbury has performed commendably, averaging more than 15 points and seven rebounds in State’s last seven games, including her other double-double of the season, in which she had 13 points and 13 rebounds against George Washington on December 30th.
Stansbury, an All-American candidate, is now averaging 15 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game on the season.
