North Carolina State University Athletics
Wolfpack Women Gear Up For Another Tough Road Battle
12/6/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 6, 2001
This will be NC State's second consecutive matchup against a nationally-ranked opponent, and its fourth of the season against a ranked foe. The Wolfpack will be looking to bounce back from its first loss of the season, a 93-56 drubbing at the hands of #2 Tennessee last Sunday in the Honda Elite 4 Classic in Orlando. Wisconsin is averaging 77.6 points per game but is facing an aggressive NC State defense that is only allowing op-ponents 57.4 per outing. Wolfpack foes have only managed to shoot 35.6 percent from the floor and 27.4 percent from behind the arc. The Badgers are averaging 45.0 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from three-point land. Expect physical play in the paint, particularly with the matchup of NC State's Carisse Moody and Wisconsin's Jessie Stomski. Both are strong post players that are leading their respective teams in scoring and rebounding. The Opponent: Wisconsin enters Sunday's matchup with an indentical 6-1 record and a top 25 ranking in both national polls. The Badgers lone loss of the season was a five-point defeat to nationally-ranked Texas.
Wisconsin is led by 6-3 senior Jessie Stomski who is averaging double-double with 18.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per outing. Classmates Tamara Moore and Kyle Black are contributing 15.1 points and 15.0 points per game respectively. The senior trio are returning starters from last year's 18-10 Badger squad that advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Series History: This is the first time these two teams have ever met on the hardwood. Probable Starters:
NC State
G - 14 Nanna Rivers (5-8, sophomore, 6.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 3.8 apg)
G - 32 Ivy Gardner (5-9, junior, 8.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg)
C - 50 Kaayla Chones (6-3, r-sophomore, 6.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg)
F - 44 Carisse Moody (6-1, junior, 14.2 ppg, 6.7 rpg)
F - 42 Amy Simpson (6-0, junior, 7.5 ppg, 2.3 rpg)
Wisconsin
G - 32 Kyle Black (5-11, senior, 15.0 ppg, 2.3 rpg)
G - 3 Candas Smith (5-6, junior, 1.7 ppg, 0.7 rpg)
C - 44 Emily Ashbaugh (6-5, sophomore, 7.0 ppg, 4.9 rpg)
F - 43 Tamara Moore (5-11, senior, 15.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg)
F - 41 Jessie Stomski (6-3, senior, 18.9 ppg, 10.1 rpg)
The Coaches: Head Coach Kay Yow is in her 27th season on the Wolfpack bench and owns a 560-235 mark at NC State and a 617- 254 overall record. She ranks fifth among active coaches for all-time wins and was inducted into the Wo m e n 's Basketball Hall of Fame in June 2000. Yow has been named a finalist for the Naismith Coach of the Ye a r Award for the previous two seasons. Jane Albright, a native of Graham, N.C., is in her eighth season at the helm of the Wisconsin women's basketball program. She owns a 146-76 record with the Badgers. Albright and Yow grew up in the same part of North Carolina and have been friends for years. Last Time Out: NC State suffered its worst loss in over 20 years with a 93-56 defeat to #2 Tennessee in the Hon-da Elite 4 Classic in Orlando, Fla. on Dec. 2. Carisse Moody led the Wolfpack with 18 points and nine rebounds. After trailing by as many as 17 points at Marquette on Wednesday night, Wiscsoncin pulled out a 56-55 win. Kyle Black led the Badgers with 19 points and Jessie Stomski recorded a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Next Up: N C State returns home for exams and then plays its third consecutive contest against a ranked opponent when it faces #13/#11 Georgia on Dec. 16.
