North Carolina State University Athletics
Rising Wolfpack Hosts Clemson on Thursday
2/10/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 10, 2004
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RALEIGH, NC - After a 0-5 start in league play, NC State (13-11, 5-6) has won five of the last six Atlantic Coast Conference games, which includes three straight recently. The Wolfpack will host Clemson (15-7, 5-6) on Thursday at 7 p.m. Topping those NC State wins was a 62-54 upset of No. 12 North Carolina on Feb. 8. Senior Kaayla Chones led the way for the Pack with her 27th career double double and sixth this season with 23 points and 13 rebounds. For her combined efforts in the UNC and Wake Forest games in which she helped the Wolfpack to come-from-behind victories, the center was named ACC Player of the Week. That was the first honor the fifth-year senior. She was an ACC Rookie of the Week back in the 1999-00 season, but has not been honored in such a way since, despite having scored over 1,000 career points and 800 rebounds. In addition to its three-game winning streak, the Pack is 3-0 in league play and is 5-1 since starting the season with five-straight losses. After the 0-5 start NC State has won five of its last six games. Chones, who has recently stepped up her play, has helped NC State erase a halftime deficit in both the Wake Forest and North Carolina games to take home the win. Two straight road wins and two straight home wins have been the result of the Pack's comeback from the first round of ACC play. NC State lost to Clemson in the opening game of the series, 77-64 in Clemson. The Wolfpack owns a 39-26 overall advantage over the Tigers and is 19-6 at home. NC State has not lost at home to Clemson since Feb. 25, 2002, 63-52.
Clemson started the season 5-2, but has since lost its last four games, including a 65-50 loss at Florida State on Sunday. All four losses have been by a margin of more than 15 points, including a 72-41 loss to No. 12 North Carolina on Feb. 5. Senior guard Lakeia Stokes has continued to be the mainstay for the Tigers as she has been the leading scorer in all but two ACC contests. She leads the team in scoring and rebounding averages with 17.5 ppg and 7.7 rpg. Stokes also leads the team in assists with 3.8 apg. Senior forward Maggie Slosser has been a boost in the post with her 6.0 rpg and 10.0 ppg. The two Julies, that is Tally and Aderhold have been trying to bring the defense to the perimeter with their three-point prowess. Tally is shooting a team-best 36.6 percent, which is seventh in the ACC. Aderhold is close behind with 32.4 percent, 11th in the conference. Clemson finished the non-conference slate with a 10-1 record, losing only to Alaska in the Alaska Shootout back on Nov. 26. Since meeting up with NC State last month, Clemson has gone 4-4 in ACC play, which includes the last four-straight losses. NC State evened the series last year after losing in Clemson, S.C. and then winning at home in Reynolds. The Tigers are still in the mix, tying up with the Pack and Florida State in a wrestle for fifth place in the ACC. In its loss at FSU on Sunday, 65-50, Clemson's leading scorer, Stokes, scored just 11 points, while sophomore Amanda White led the squad on the boards with seven. The Tigers shot just 27.6 percent from the floor.
