North Carolina State University Athletics
Women's Hoops Advances to Face UNC in Semifinals
3/6/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
March 6, 2004
GREENSBORO, NC - NC State women's basketball defeated Clemson 45-43 in the third quarterfinal game of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament, Friday, March 5. Senior Kaayla Chones led the Wolfpack with her 29th career double-double and eight of the season after tallying 13 points and 12 rebounds. NC State improved to 17-13 and 9-8 in the ACC. Clemson finished their ACC season with a 17-11 overall record and 7-9 ACC slate. Clemson's Lakeia Stokes led all scorers with 23 points.
It was not the prettiest of shooting exposition the ACC has ever witnessed, but nonetheless one team came out on top to advance to the semifinals to face the No. 2 seeded North Carolina Tar Heels. NC State, thanks to a remarkable defensive effort will advance to play its archrival at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Neither team shot above 30 percent for the game, as Clemson made just 29 percent of its 51 shots and the Pack was less than that with a mere 27.5 percent on 51 shots. The Wolfpack defensive effort was sparked by a 48 to 31 advantage on the boards, which included a 15-5 edge on the offensive glass.
R-sophomore Rachel Stockdale hit three, three-point shots to lead NC State with nine points. She would go on to finished with 10 for the game. Chones and senior Alvine Mendeng did a nice job cleaning the glass getting six boards each early on, including a high of four from Mendeng. Stockdale's first three-pointer ended a four-minute scoring drought in the first half. Clemson had just four points within the first six and a half minutes of the game and 10 the rest of the way. NC State led by as many as eight points, including a five point advantage heading into half time, 21-16.
Clemson rode the back of Stokes to erase the halftime deficit and jump out to a three point lead with just over seven minutes remaining. Stokes had 12 of the Tigers' 14 points within the first ten minutes of the second half. With Clemson scoring and NC State hitting only free throws within the first five minutes of the second, the Tigers appeared to have the edge. Wolfpack sophomore Billie McDowell had other ideas though. The guard hit a three pointer and another jumper to end the Pack scoring drought to open the half. NC State however battled back to regain the lead for good after senior Terah James nailed a baseline three-pointer with four minutes to go. Chones then hit a jumper and senior Nanna Rivers hit one of two free throws to take a four point lead, 41-37 with just under three minutes left. Clemson's Julie Talley gave the Tigers some hope of a last minute comeback as she hit two free throws and three-pointer with two seconds remaining. NC State maintained possession as time ran out to advance on to face UNC for the second time in three years in the semifinals.
NC State set a scoring low for the Wolfpack in the ACC Tournament with its 45 points. The Wolfpack scored 48 points back in 1998 in a loss to Maryland. The point total is the lowest in a win or loss since NC State's first ACC game in 1978. The point total is also the lowest allowed or scored by the Wolfpack in an ACC game this season.
The 88 point total between both teams is the new ACC tournament record for fewest points scored in a single game. The 30 combined field goals made is also a new ACC Tournament record. The 102 total field goal attempts is ranked fifth all-time in the ACC Tournament. The field goal percentage of 28.4 is a new record for the tournament. Chones was named the Aeropostale Player of the Game for her double-double effort.
NC State is 6-4 all-time versus North Carolina in the tournament. The two teams met in the 2002 semifinals and the Tar Heels prevailed with a score of 58-52. The Wolfpack entered the tournament as the sixth seed, while the Heels were second.
The game on Sunday will tip-off at 3:36 p.m. on FOX Sports Net and can be viewed online using gametracker at both gopack.com and at the ACC's Tournament Central page of www.theACC.com.
