North Carolina State University Athletics
Tough Challenge Ahead for Wolfpack
1/5/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 5, 2005
RALEIGH, N.C. -
Game Notes in PDF Format
NC State women's basketball travels to No. 16/13 Vanderbilt this Thursday, Jan. 6. The Wolfpack is looking to extend its overall winning streak to four, while improving its consecutive road wins to three. The task will be tough as NC State enters the game with an 11-3 record, against its most formidable opponent since facing the then No. 1 Tennessee Lady Vols back on Nov. 21, 2004. The Commodores are 11-1 and have their last five games and are 6-0 in the confines of Memorial Gym. NC State and Vanderbilt have met just one time before, back in 1996. Vanderbilt won that game, 93-61. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. central, 8 p.m. eastern in Nashville, Tenn.
"Vanderbilt has a very strong team, inside and out. They've also got a really good point guard. I think this can be a game that can help us to see how good we are in the post. It's on their home court and it's going to be a great opportunity and challenge for us. "
The Wolfpack is riding high after picking up its first Atlantic Coast Conference win after defeating Wake Forest 81-55 at home Monday, Jan. 3. The win also marked the sixth-consecutive win at home this season as the Pack has yet to lose in Reynolds Coliseum. NC State's Billie McDowell moved into second place on the team in scoring after she recorded a career-high 27 points, which included six three-pointers. She is now averaging 10.6 points per game. Junior Tiffany Stansbury is standing firm as the team's leader in points and rebounds with an average of 11.9 ppg and 7.8 rebounds a contest. Sophomore Ashley Key has netted double figures the last six games and is third in scoring with an average of 10.3 ppg. Senior Kendra Bell and sophomore Marquetta Dickens lead the team with an average of 2.85 assists per game. Bell is also averaging 7.2 ppg. Dickens has come off the bench in the last three games to average 24 minutes, 7.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.0 steals, and just 1.67 turnovers. She also has shot 52.6 percent on 10-of-19 shots. The Tarboro, N.C. native is second on the team in rebounds with 6.2 rpg and is fourth in scoring with 8.6 ppg. She has started five of the 13 games this season.
Thursday's game will mark the third of three games against SEC opponents this season. The Pack had previously fallen to then No. 1 Tennessee, 64-54 in the Jimmy V Classic. Then NC State went to South Carolina and won handily, 75-48. NC State is 25-36 all-time versus the nation's fifth-best conference according to the Sagarin ratings. The Pack is 6-13 on the road.
Vanderbilt is currently riding a five-game overall winning streak and has not lost in six tries at home either. The Commodores are 11-1 this season and are looking to close out their non-conference docket with a sixth-straight win before opening SEC play against South Carolina on Jan. 9. A pair of seniors and sophomores is helping Vanderbilt to such a successful season. Senior guard Ashley Earley is one of the nation's leading scorers as she is averaging 19.9 points per game. Her 9.0 rebounds per contest nearly give her a double double. She also leads the team in steals with 30 total, or 2.5 spg. She is scoring around 20 points a game thanks to her 70 percent field goal accuracy on 96-of-137 shooting. Sophomore guard Dee Davis is second on the squad in scoring with 14.9 ppg, but leads the team in assists with 86 and in three-point field goal percentage at 50 percent. She has hit22 of her 44 attempts. Sophomore forward Carla Thomas is third on the squad in scoring wit 14.4 ppg, but leads the team in blocks with 14. Senior guard Abi Ramsey is the fourth player averaging double digits with 11.8 ppg. However, 78 percent of her shooting is coming from beyond the arc. She has hit 37 three-pointers, good for 111 of her 142 total points this season. As a team, Vanderbilt is shooting an impressive 52.9 percent, while holding its opponents to just 49.6 points per game and 35 percent shooting. That scoring margin leads the nation at +37.1 ppg. The 86.7 ppg the Commodores average is also first in the nation.
The Commodores are led by third year head coach Melanie Balcomb. In 12 seasons as a head coach, Balcomb is 222-123 (.643). After three seasons at Vanderbilt she is 59-19 (.756). Prior to arriving at Vandi, she spent two seasons at Ashland and seven years at Xavier. In her 34 years as a head coach, Yow owns a record of 664-302 (.687) and is 607-283 (.682) in her 30 years at NC State.
The Pack is 103-164 all-time versus ranked teams. The last win over a ranked team came in 2003-04 when NC State defeated No. 12 North Carolina, 62-54 in Chapel Hill. Additionally, the Pack is 13-52 all-time versus Top Five teams and 35-85 versus Top 10. NC State does have the advantage at home against ranked opponents, owning a 56-54 record.
NC State will stay on the road to open up its ACC road slate with a 2 p.m. game at Clemson on Sunday, Jan. 9. The Tigers are 6-6 and 0-0 in ACC play.
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