North Carolina State University Athletics
Wolfpack Gets Tropical in Paradise Jam
11/22/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 22, 2004
RALEIGH, N.C. -
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NC State women's basketball travels to St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands for a two-game tournament, the Paradise Jam, Nov. 26 and 27. The Wolfpack will first take on Nebraska at 6 p.m. eastern on Friday before meeting Hampton or Louisville on Saturday. The championship game is scheduled for 6 p.m. eastern and will be broadcast live on FOX Sports Net, while the consolation game is set to follow at 8:30 p.m. eastern. Both games can be heard on 88.1 FM in Raleigh with play-by-play from Patrick Kinas.
The Pack is coming off a 1-1 start after two-straight home games. NC State recently fell to No. 1 Tennessee, 64-54 in the Third Annual Women's Jimmy V Classic. Junior Tiffany Stansbury recorded her second double double of the year in as many games. She posted 13 points and 11 rebounds. Sophomore Ashley Key added 12 points. Head coach Kay Yow is now three wins away from reaching 600 for her 30-year career at NC State.
Nebraska will host Washington State on Monday before departing for the islands. The Huskers will look to win their third home game this season. In earlier action, Nebraska competed in the WNIT for one game after falling to No. 10 Notre Dame, 73-57 on Nov. 14. Sophomore forward Chelsea Aubry led with 16 points. Against Northern Colorado on Friday, the Huskers defeated the bears, 89-46. Sophomore forward Jessica Gerhart finished with a game-best 20 points as four Huskers reached double figures. Head coach Connie Yori is 28-33 in three years and 223-173 overall in 14 seasons.
The last time the Huskers and NC State met was in the Pack's one and only WNIT appearance, 1976. The Pack fell to Nebraska in its third game of the invite, 72-69 on March 20. NC State had opened the tournament with a 94-65 loss to Wayland Baptist before defeating Indiana State, 59-58. Yow was in her first season and her team finished 19-7 that year.
The Pack is 5-9 all-time versus the 12-member conference and is 3-4 on neutral court. The last win versus the Big 12 came in 2000, when NC State defeated Texas Tech, 59-51. The last loss was last year versus Baylor in the San Juan Shootout, 79-63.
Hampton kicked off the year with a close loss to ACC foe, Wake Forest, 82-75. Senior forward Kiesha Beard led with 14 points and 14 rebounds, including 11 defensive. Despite a second half surge, which outscored WFU, 34-21, the Pirates did not pull it out. Hampton has won two-straight MEAC titles and been to the last two NCAA tournaments. Current NC State assistant coach Trena Trice-Hill had coached her last two seasons with the Pirates. The Hampton squad is led by first year head coach Walter Mebane.
The Pack is 20-1 against the Mideastern Athletic Conference and is 2-0 on a neutral floor. The most recent win came last season against Florida A&M at home, 72-65. The one and only loss was to Howard in 1987, 61-60.
The Cardinals are 1-1 after a season opener loss at Vermont, 59-56 and a victory over Auburn, 76-60 in Vermont's Northbank Classic, Nov. 19-20. Louisville went 20-10 last season and advanced to the WNIT, only to fall to Western Michigan 63-61. In the win over Auburn, Louisville had five of its eight players finish in double figures, including a team-best 17 from sophomore forward Jazz Covington. Covington leads the Cardinals in scoring with 13.0 ppg and rebounding with 10.5 rpg. Louisville is directed by second year head coach Tom Collen, who is now 21-11. Collen is 150-64 in six years overall.
The Pack is 39-3, 9-0 on neutral territory, all-time versus the 15-team conference. This the second meeting between NC State and Louisville. The most recent win came in 2003 against East Carolina, 88-51. The most recent loss was against ECU, 68-60 in 1982. All three loses have been at the hands of the ECU Pirates.
This is the first trip for NC State to the elite Paradise Jam tournament and to the Virgin Islands.
Upon return, NC State will again host two home games, with Seton Hall visiting on Thursday, Dec. 2, at 7 p.m. and UAB on Saturday, Dec. 4, at 2 p.m.
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