North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State
Wake Forest
Wake Forest Slips by Pack, 70-66
1/5/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 5, 2004
RALEIGH, N.C. - NC State (8-7, 0-2) was unable to overcome a second-half deficit of 12 points, despite a late push that brought the Wolfpack within two in the wanning seconds of the Wolfpack's ACC home opener versus Wake Forest (8-6, 1-2) on Monday, Jan. 5. Wake Forest, a 70-66 winner over the Wolfpack, won its first game in Reynolds Coliseum since 1996. Wake's Porsche' Jones hit two free throws with four seconds remaining to seal the win and end a seven-year streak of futility against the Wolfpack. Senior Kaayla Chones had a team-high 22 points for NC State, 15 of which came in the second half on 6-of-8 shooting. She was a perfect 4-of-4 from the line for the game. Three Deamon Deacons reached double-figures, led by sophomore Cotelia Bond-Young with a career-high 27 points. Bond-Young hit four of her five attempts from beyond the arc.
NC State freshman Marquetta Dickens, who made her first career start, added career-high 16 points, and senior Nanna Rivers had 10. For Wake Forest, sophomore Liz Strunk scored 12 and senior Tonia Brown added 10.
"It was hard-pressed to get a break," said NC State coach Kay Yow. "We knew Wake Forest was playing extremely well. They've played a tough schedule. We faced a hot team that was on fire and that played a great game."
The Wolfpack opened strong, leading at the first media timeout 9-2. The Pack held Wake Forest without a field goal over the first four minutes of the game. NC State took a seven-point lead before the timeout with a jumper by Dickens. The teams traded baskets on the next two possessions, and Bond-Young cut the Wolfpack's lead to five with two shots at the line. Wake's Keila Evans hit a layup and Brown knocked in a jumper to pull within one with just over 10 minutes remaining in the first half. The Pack retaliated with a score by senior Alvine Mendeng and a jumper by Dickens. Freshman Keisha Brown hit two free throws, and Dickens drained a three pointer lead to extend its lead back to seven with just under eight minutes to go. The Deacs ended the half on a 6-2 run to cut its deficit to two at the half, 32-30.
Just a minute into the second half, Bond-Young nailed a three pointer, which gave Wake Forest its first lead of the game.
"We really came out of the lockerroom in the second half with a different look in our eye," said Wake Forest coach Charlene Curtis. "We were a bit more confident with what we were doing and we played together as a team. We took good shots early and I though that run really made the difference in the second half."
Wake went on a 14-2 tear at the 17:11 mark to take an 11-point advantage. Rivers found Dickens for a three-pointer to end the drought.
"We had a slow start in the second half that really cost us the game, said Yow. "Then there were some critical mistakes down the stretch. Even playing a team that is playing as well as Wake Forest, I think we could have still won this game had we not had the first minutes of the second half, and, or made the mistakes down the stretch."
Down nine with under three minutes remaining, Rivers dished the ball inside to Chones, who was fouled on the play, for two. She converted the three-point play to bring the Pack within six. Freshman Ashley Key was fouled on the arc and hit two of her three free throw attempts to cut the Deacons' lead to back to six following a score by Erin Ferrell. Chones hit a layup and junior Kendra Bell stole the ball at mid-court from senior Tracy Alston. Bell passed off to senior Alvine Mendeng, who pushed the ball through traffic in the lane to Rivers for a layup that cut the lead to two with 1:44 remaining. A hardy Wolfpack defense forced a shot clock violation with 53 seconds remaining. The Pack was unable to convert after the stop. NC State called timeout with 18 seconds remaining to ice Bond-Young at the line, who only hit one of her two attempts for a four-point lead. Rivers found Chones under the basket for two points with five seconds remaining to cut it to two. Bell fouled Jones on the inbound pass, stopping the clock. She hit both attempts, and time expired before the Pack could get a shot off.
The Wolfpack aims to rebound against a hot North Carolina squad, that enters Reynolds on Thursday ranked No. 13 in the nation. Over the last seven days, the Tar Heels knocked off No. 10 Penn State, as well as Wake Forest. Tip is set for 7 p.m. and can be seen live on Fox Sports Net South, and heard locally on WKNC, 88.1
