North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State
Florida State
Women's Hoops Picks Up Sixth-Straight Victory
2/19/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 19, 2004
RALEIGH, N.C. - The NC State women's basketball team won its sixth-straight game on Thursday night with a 65-55 margin over the visiting Florida State Seminoles. The Wolfpack improved 16-11 overall and 8-6 in conference play, while Florida State fell to 13-12 and 6-8. Senior Kaayla Chones led all scorers with 16 points and a game-high nine rebounds. Florida State had just one player reach double figures, freshman guard Alicia Gladden finished with 15 points.
"It's a great win for our team tonight," commented NC State head coach Kay Yow. "Florida State is a good basketball team and well coached. This game was important for both teams. It was a battle and a very physical game out there."
"Any ACC road game is tough, especially at NC State," said Florida State head coach Sue Semrau. They have a crowd that really gets involved and they were great."
Florida State's Ganiyat Adeduntan hit a three-point shot with two seconds left in the first half to take a 27-26 lead into the break. It was the only three-pointer made by the Seminoles. NC State started the half fast, jumping out to a 14-7 lead at the 13-minute mark, but allowed Florida State back into the mix. The Seminoles scored seven quick points to knot the score at 14 with nine minutes to go. Back-to-back three-pointers from the Pack's Billie McDowell and Terah James helped NC State to regain the lead for the remainder of the half until Adeduntan hit from the arc.
NC State shot just 36 percent in the first half, but hit 6-of-6 free throws and 2-of-5 three-point attempts to keep the score close. Florida State shot 41 percent overall after starting off a bit rocky to open the first. The team hit just three of its 11 shot attempts in the first eight minutes.
The second half returned a revamped Wolfpack squad. NC State regained the lead for good after five minutes had ticked off the clock. Chones converted a three-point play and then senior Nanna Rivers forced a Seminoles turnover and hit Kendra Bell for a transition layup to jump out to a 38-35 lead. Rivers was returned her previous favor as she too went to the line for a three-point play to give the Pack a seven-point lead (44-37) with 13 minutes to go.
"I thought NC State did a great job on the defensive end in the second half," remarked Semrau. "They really held our personnel, which has been big for us lately."
The Seminoles pulled their game together midway through the half and started to hit shots, eventually bringing the team to within four. However, NC State's Marquetta Dickens had other ideas. She hit back-to-back jumpers and converted a three-point play within a minute and a half. Rivers sealed the win after hitting two insurance free throws with 33 seconds left. Her 7-of-7 performance from the night helped the Pack finish with a 10-point lead at the end of the game, 65-55. She and Bell finished with 13 points apiece.
The Wolfpack shot 55.6 percent from the floor in the second half, while holding FSU to just 32 percent.
NC State has now won eight of its last nine games, including four-straight at home. The Pack will take the next six days to prepare for Georgia Tech, which awaits a home game in Atlanta on Thursday, Feb. 26. The Yellow Jackets lost at Clemson 59-47. Their record stands at 13-12, 4-9. NC State won the first meeting in Reynolds back on Feb. 1, 75-71.
