North Carolina State University Athletics
Wolfpack Women Defeat South Carolina
12/20/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) (Dec. 30) - Although it wasn't the best game of the season for North Carolina State, it still managed a 69-55 victory Thursday night.
However, coach Kay Yow wasn't too pleased with the team's performance in the first half.
"Offensively, we were off most of the first half. We missed easy shots, open shots right in front of us,'' Yow said. "We did much better offensively in the second half, but then lost some of our focus defensively."
South Carolina coach Susan Walvius, looking to get her team ready for tough Southeastern Conference play, said her Gamecocks learned something from playing the Wolfpack (11-0).
"We scheduled N.C. State because they're one of the best teams in the country, and we want to get to where they are," Walvius said. "If you want to be among the best teams in the country, you have to play the best."
South Carolina (8-3) used its quickness to give N.C. State trouble most of the game.
South Carolina trailed 60-53 after Petra Ujhelyi made two free throws with 2:54 to play. Summer Erb scored the Wolfpack's final basket, a putback of a missed free throw by Amy Simpson with 2:24 remaining.
The Gamecocks then missed six straight tries from the floor and made just two of five free throws in the last 1:22.
Terah James scored 18 points and Erb added 15 points and 13 rebounds as the Wolfpack got off to their best start in Yow's 25-year career.
"Getting off to our best start ever ranks this team right up there with two other great teams _ the 1997-98 team that went to the Final Four and the 1990-91 team that could have won a national championship," Yow said. "I'd like to think this team is on track to do the same sort of things as those teams."
Yow said she wasn't so convinced this team was heading in the right direction after a series of "unnecessary mistakes" slowed the Wolfpack's up-tempo game to a crawl in the first half.
South Carolina disregarded N.C. State's early attempts to press and hit six of its first 10 shots.
The Gamecocks led 17-15 after Shannon Segres made a layin in traffic with 8:35 to go before halftime. Erb, Tynesha Lewis, and Talisha Scates each scored during N.C. State's next three possessions to put the Wolfpack back in front for good.
N.C. State used a 13-2 run late in the first half to lead 31-21 at the break, but was unable to keep the lead in double digits most of the second half.
The Wolfpack's defense asserted itself late and held South Carolina without a basket in the game's last 4:30. N.C. State made nine of 11 free throws in the final 3:16 to seal the win.
"We knew this would be tough defensively, because South Carolina is an explosive team," Yow said. "They can score a lot of points in a hurry. They go to the boards hard and score a lot of points on second chances. I thought allowing only 21 points at halftime was great."
Lewis, who had 14 points, became the 20th N.C. State player to top the 1,000-point mark when she hit two free throws with 1:17 to play. Play was stopped briefly to give her the game ball. She has 1,002 career points.
Shaunzinski Gortman led South Carolina with 19 points, while Annie Lester added 12.
