North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State
Indiana
Wolfpack Stops Hoosiers, 93-91
12/14/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 14, 2003
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RALEIGH, N.C. - Junior Kendra Bell hit the game-winning layup with 20 seconds remaining, and freshman Marquetta Dickens blocked a potential tying shot by Indiana's Jenny DeMuth to aid the Wolfpack to an exciting 93-91 win over the visiting Hoosiers in Reynolds Coliseum on Sunday, Dec. 14. DeMuth had a game-high 25 points, and three other Hoosiers reached double figures, including Cyndi Valentine, who had a season high of 20 points. Bell and Dickens each had career-best nights. Bell scored 19 with a perfect 6-of-6 performance on the free throw line and Dickens added 16, 12 coming in the second half. Freshman Keisha Brown tied her career best with 15 points on perfect 7-of-7 shooting and had a team-high six rebounds, and senior Kaayla Chones added a team-high 21 points. The win pushes NC State past the .500 mark at 4-3, and Indiana drops to 5-3.
"Wow, what a game," NC State coach Kay Yow exclaimed after her team's victory. "It's been a while since we had a game like this in Reynolds Coliseum. It was great to see our players just battle like that and play a team that is very fundamentally sound and well-coached. It was a great win for us. I think in a lot of ways we'll come back to this game throughout the season. The team really came together and matured out there. We were down late in that game, and [Indiana] hung tough and fought back. I thought that Kendra Bell's leadership on the floor was tremendous."
Bell hit back-to-back layups in the final minute to seal the win for the Wolfpack. Dickens was also strong down the stretch. Indiana led by five with just over five minutes remaining, but clutch free throw shooting by the freshman held the Pack close. She was three of four from the line in the final minutes, and added five points from the field.
Bell was able to penetrate against Indiana, which played a two-three zone most of the game. Ten of her points were on shots in the paint.
"All week we have been working on penetration during practice," said Bell. "Coach Yow had us focused on penetrating and getting the ball into the post. We just applied everything we were practicing and took it into the game."
Early on, Indiana had no answer for Chones, who scored 10 of the Pack's first 15 points. NC State established its first lead the 8:36 mark in the first half on a layup by Brown. The Pack stretched its first-half lead to as many as nine late in the period. DeMuth scored three field goals in the last minute and a half to pull the Hoosiers to within five at the break. NC State led 44-39.
Both teams came out of the lockerroom with cold shooting. NC State was the first to score a point from the field at the 16:46 mark by Senior Nanna Rivers. Indiana's Cyndi Valentin answered with a three-pointer at the other end. The Wolfpack's biggest lead of the game came with just under 13 minutes remaining when senior Terah James found sophomore Billie McDowell under the rim for an easy two. Indiana pecked away at NC State's lead. Valentin got nine of her 20 points in a two-minute span, and the Hoosiers took its first lead of the second half with just over eight minutes remaining.
McDowell found Dickens waiting on the right wing for a cluctch three-point shot to tie the game with 2:03 to go. DeMuth tied it again with two free throws, then Bell penetrated inside for the first of her two key layups. IU's Leah Enterline went to the line and tied the score again. A busted set play for the Pack somehow left Bell with an uncontested path to the basket for a layup with 20 seconds to go. DeMuth, who had hit some big shots for Indiana all night, took a shot from 15-feet out, but Dickens got a hand up and blocked the attempt.
Both teams shot extremely well. NC State had its best performance of the season with 25-of-60 for 58.3 percent, and Indiana was respectable at 52.8 percent, eight shots assisted by Enderline. The Pack's 91 points was also a season-high, and 20 of its shots were assisted.
NC State will return to Reynolds on Wednesday, Dec. 17 at 7 p.m. for a matchup with Florida A&M. The Pack looks to extend its home win streak to three against the Rattlers.
