North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State
Virginia
Wolfpack Defeated by Virginia 66-62
1/15/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 15, 2004
RALEIGH, N.C. - NC State women's basketball fell to Virginia, 66-62 on Thursday, Jan. 15. The Wolfpack's record stands at 8-10 overall and 0-5 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, while Virginia improved to 8-7, 2-2 in the ACC. The Cavaliers finished with three players in double-figures, led by a double-double from LaTonya Blue (11 pts., 10 assists). NC State had two players reach the double-digit mark, led by freshman Marquetta Dickens who topped all Wolfpack scorers with 12.
"It was another disappointing loss for us," said NC State head coach Kay Yow. "We have to find the answer. We can play in streaks, but we are not able to play hard and strong consistently; and that is hurting us."
NC State began the game using its fourth starting lineup of the year in an attempt to rejuvenate the Pack and to get the ball rolling in ACC play. For the majority of the first half, NC State held the balance and used the new system to take a 28-27 lead into halftime. Redshirt senior Terah James and freshman Ashley Key made their starting debuts for the year, as NC State head coach Kay Yow put three freshmen into the starting lineup. Dickens and Keisha Brown were the other two freshmen. The Pack held Virginia at bay for the majority of the first half and eventually took an eight-point lead midway through. But the Cavaliers never let up and held the Wolfpack scoreless for four minutes between, which eventually brought the score into Virginia's favor at 23-22. After freshman Sasha Reaves posted up to tally four-straight points for the Pack, NC State rallied to take the one-point lead into the break.
In the second half, Virginia forced NC State to take matters to behind the arc. The Wolfpack knocked down just 3-of-13 attempts. After five lead changes, the Cavaliers eventually went on to take the final lead of the game when Anna Prillaman hit a three-pointer with 1:25 remaining to seal the victory. NC State did not score for the remainder of the game. NC State tried to rally back, boosted by the tremendous defensive effort from Dickens. The forward took back-to-back charges with five minutes to go that sparked the Pack to tie the ball game twice before Prillaman's shot.
"We have played a lot of close games this year," said Virginia head coach Debbie Ryan. "This past week it has really paid off and it's starting to show up in games. "
Poor shooting overall from NC State limited the scoring effort by the Wolfpack, especially from the free throw line where it was 58.3 percent (7-12). NC State also shot just 22.7 percent from the three-point line (5-22), while the Cavaliers made 1-of-4 attempts. Neither team managed to shoot well overall, despite having the one three-pointer making all the difference for Virginia. The Wolfpack shot 43.9 percent (25-57), while the Cavs were 25-54 (46.3 percent) from the floor.
In addition to Blue's double-double, Virginia's Kate Kreager picked up a game-high 15 points, while Tiffany Sardin finished with 14. For NC State, Chones tallied 11, including nine in the second half, and led the team with five rebounds.
NC State will look to pick up its first win in three years on the road in Tallahassee, Fla. on Monday, Jan. 19. NC State will be hosted by Florida State, which picked up a road win over Wake Forest, 81-73. The Seminoles are 10-6, 3-2 overall. Game time is set for 4:30 p.m. and will be televised live on FOX Sports Net South.
