North Carolina State University Athletics
Wolfpack Hosts UNC Wilmington for Season Opener
11/18/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 18, 2004
RALEIGH, N.C. -
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NC State women's basketball hosts UNC Wilmington on Friday, Nov. 19, in Reynolds Coliseum. The game, which tips off at 7 p.m., is the season opener for both squads. The Pack began the week with an 80-58 win over EA Sports on Tuesday in exhibition play. The Pack is 15-1 in home openers, 26-4 overall.
Entering tomorrow's game, NC State will be led by senior co-captain Kendra Bell at point. The Fayetteville, N.C. native finished her junior year averaging 7.2 points per game and 2.8 assists per game. She collected 11 points in the exhibition win. Sophomore guard Ashley Key, who recorded 17 points against EA Sports, is a probable starter at guard, as is junior Billie McDowell. Junior center Tiffany Stansbury, the 2003-04 National Junior College Player of the Year at Gulf Coast Community College, recorded her first unofficial double double with 14 points and 12 rebounds in her first outing as a member of head coach Kay Yow's group.
Yow enters her 30th season as head coach at NC State and will begin her quest for 600 wins with the Wolfpack. She needs four victories to reach the milestone and become the fourth coach in NCAA Division I women's basketball history to record 600 wins at the same institution.
The Pack will look to make its 18th NCAA tournament appearance after a turnaround season record of 17-15 and 17th NCAA tournament bid last season.
UNC Wilmington opens the season on the road before hosting its own tournament on the coast, the Hilton Wilmington Riverside Classic. The Seahawks' roster is youthful, consisting of just three upperclassmen and one senior-Tanika Harrison. There are four sophomores and eight freshmen. Harrison is the team's top returning scorer with an average of 6.1 ppg last year. She also averaged 3.2 rebounds per game. The team finished with an overall record of 15-13, 9-3 at home and 5-9 on the road in 2003-04 after completing its third-straight winning season. The Seahawks finished 10-8 in the Colonial Athletic Conference. Head coach Ann Sexton is in her fifth season as head coach of the Seahawks. She owns a 62-52 overall record.
NC State owns the all-time series with UNC Wilmington, 1-0. It's been two decades since the first meeting back on Dec. 20, 1981. NC State came out on top defeating the Seahawks, 95-53 in Reynolds.
