North Carolina State University Athletics
Chones leads Pack to victory over Yellow Jackets
1/6/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 6, 2002
Raleigh, N.C. - Only leading by four points coming out of halftime, NC State got a huge boost from center Kaayla Chones, as it rolled to a 75-63 win over Atlantic Coast Conference foe Georgia Tech Sunday afternoon in Reynolds Coliseum.
Chones dominated down low in the paint for the Wolfpack, scoring a career-high 31 points, while adding six rebounds and three assists. The 31 points scored was the most scored by an NC State player since 1999, when Summer Erb tallied 34 against Wake Forest, and was the second highest total scored by an ACC player this season.
Chones took over offensively for NC State when preseason All-ACC center Carisse Moody left the game midway through the first half with an ankle injury. She was taken to the hospital for x-rays, which proved to be negative, and was diagnosed with a second-degree ankle sprain. She will be re-evaluated by a team physician on Monday.
"I think when Carisse [Moody] went out, Kaayla had a mindset that she got to be the go-to post and she posted really strongly for us and really battled in there," said NC State head coach Kay Yow. "I really liked the aggressiveness. On the line 17 times, really showed that she was battling and making some moves in there because you can't get fouls if you don't make moves."
The Wolfpack also received solid play from guards Nanna Rivers and Kendra Bell. While Chones was drawing a double-team under the hoop, Rivers and Bell maintained NC State's threat offensively, combining for 16 points and dishing out six assists apiece. Bell also posed a defensive threat for the Pack, stealing the ball three times.
The Yellow Jackets bounced back from a zero percentage from behind the arc in the first half, to score on 5-of-13 in the second half to help keep it close at the start of the second. Guard Milli Martinez scored a team high 15 points, while 6-4 center Sonja Mallory added 14 and seven boards.
The Pack shot 73.5 percent from the free throw line, while Georgia Tech struggled with only 53.3 percent.
"They beat us in almost every category," Georgia Tech head coach Agnus Berenato. "It started at the free throw line. That's what it comes down to. We didn't come out of the box with the mentality of 'take State down'. We just weren't scoring. We had some players that seemed like they didn't even show up. Unfortunately, we folded our tents up today."
NC State moves to 8-6 overall, 2-1 in the ACC with the win and the Yellow Jackets fall to 7-6, 1-3. The Wolfpack travels next to rival North Carolina Thursday night at the Dean Smith Center. Game time is set for 7 pm.
