North Carolina State University Athletics
Wolfpack Women Host Archrival Duke in Reynolds Coliseum
1/13/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 13, 2002
Tonight's Matchup: This is the Wolfpack's second straight game against not only a ranked team, but an archrival. NC State faces #7 Duke tonight just three days after upsetting #17 North Carolina 66-63 in Chapel Hill. The Pack will have to guard against a let-down after that emotional victory. Tonight's game is a battle of the two teams in the ACC with the smallest rosters. The Blue Devils only have eight players on its squad, while the Wolfpack has nine healthy bodies in uniform tonight. Both squads are young, with only one senior on each team. Among the 10 projected starters for tonight's contest, seven are underclassmen. Duke and NC State are currently the two hottest teams in the league - the Blue Devils have won four straight and the Wolfpack have won two straight league contests. Tonight's ACC clash will be nationally televised by the FOX Sports Network. Beth Mowins will handle the play-by-play duties with Debbie Antonelli serving as analyst.
The Opponent: Duke, winners of the last two ACC championships, sits atop the league standings with a 13-3 overall record and perfect 5-0 conference mark. The Blue Devils are led by national player of the year candidate Alana Beard who is posting averages of 18.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 3.9 steals per outing. The sophomore sensation is shooting 59.9 percent from the floor, including 52.0 from behind the arc. Sophomore Iciss Tillis is contributing 15.1 points and a team-high 8.5 rebounds for the Devils. Freshman Monique Currie is making a statement for ACC Rookie of the Year with averages of 14.3 points and 5.6 rebounds.
The Series: NC State holds a 38-17 lead in the alltime series with its Triangle neighbor. However, Duke has had the upper hand of late, winning eight of the last 10 meetings. The Wolfpack is 19-5 in games played in Raleigh. Last year, these two teams squared off three times during the season. The Blue Devils won the first matchup 62-59 in Durham. The Pack then pulled off a 69-55 upset of #4 Duke in Reynolds Coliseum in a game nationally televised by ESPN2. Duke had the final say with a 57-45 victory in the championship game of the ACC Tournament in Greensboro.
Probable Wolfpack Starters: G - 30 Kendra Bell (5-5, freshman, 2.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 2.6 apg) G - 14 Nanna Rivers (5-8, sophomore, 4.4 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 3.7 apg) C - 50 Kaayla Chones (6-3, r-sophomore, 10.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg) F - 45 Talisha Scates (6-1, senior, 5.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg) F - 42 Amy Simpson (6-0, junior, 8.2 ppg, 2.8 rpg)
Probable Blue Devil Starters: G - 12 Vicki Krapohl (5-5, sophomore, 4.6 ppg, 1.9 rpg) G - 20 Alana Beard (5-11, sophomore, 18.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg) C - 33 Iciss Tillis (6-4, sophomore, 15.1 ppg, 8.5 rpg) F - 31 Wynter Whitley (6-2, freshman, 8.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg) F - 3 Sheana Mosch (5-10, junior, 11.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg)
The Coaches: Head Coach Kay Yow is in her 27th season on the Wolfpack bench and owns a 563-240 mark at NC State and a 620-259 overall record. She ranks fifth among active coaches for all-time wins and was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in June 2000. Yow has been named a finalist for the Naismith Coach of the Year Award for the previous two seasons. Gail Goestenkors boasts a 219-81 record in her 10th season at the helm of the Duke Blue Devils. She led the Devils to the 1999 Final Four and is a three-time ACC Coach of the Year.
Last Time Out: NC State pulled off a 66-63 upset of #17 North Carolina in Chapel Hill Thursday night. Kaayla Chones led the Wolfpack with 26 points and 16 rebounds while senior Talisha Scates posted her first career double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. State has won the last eight of nine matchups against the Tar Heels. Duke picked up a 81-58 conference win at Clemson on Thursday to maintain its hold on first place in the conference standings. Alana Beard led the Blue Devils with 25 points. Iciss Tillis contributed 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Next Up: NC State hits the road for its first game out of the borders of the state of North Carolina since mid-December when the Wolfpack face Florida State in Tallahassee on Thursday. Gametime is set for 7:30 p.m.
