North Carolina State University Athletics
Pack bounces back with 63-48 win over UNCW
11/18/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
RALEIGH, N.C. Khadijah Whittington scored a game-high 18 points to lead the NC State women’s basketball team to a 63-48 victory over UNC Wilmington on Friday night at RBC Center.
The victory marked the first for the Wolfpack Women in four chances at RBC Center. NC State (3-1) played another solid defensive effort by limiting its third opponent of the young season to less than 50 points, which all resulted in victories.
Shayla Fields added nine points in the first collegiate start for the sophomore from Salisbury, N.C. Ashley Key snapped out of a scoring drought with all eight of her points coming in the second half. Freshmen guard’s Megan Zullo and Nikitta Gartrell each came off the bench for the first time this year and tossed in seven points apiece.
Greta Luksyte led UNCW (0-2) with 16 points, while Sahsha Taylor added 12 points and three assists.
NC State’s defense set the tone early by shutting down the Seahawks’ offense. The visitors got off to a tough 2-for-12 start from the field, which allowed the Pack to take a 17-6 lead after a layup by freshman Lucy Ellison with 7:53 left in the first half. Freshman Amber White added her first collegiate 3-pointer a minute later and NC State was up 20-8.
A Zullo jumper gave the Pack its largest lead of the opening 20 minutes, 28-13, at the 3:25 mark, but an 8-3 run by UNCW to close the half made it 31-21 heading to the break.
Whittington, the junior from Roanoke, Va., scored 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting in the first half.
In the second half, a trey by Luksyte got UNCW to within eight, 42-34, with 12:51 remaining. The margin was still eight, 44-36, after an Alex Stewart layup, but the Wolfpack struck for a 9-2 run that put them up comfortably for good, 53-38, with 6:54 to go. Whittington started the spurt with a jumper and Zullo capped it with another 3-ball.
NC State owned a 44-34 rebounding advantage, including 21-10 on the offensive glass, which resulted in a 25-7 advantage in second chance points for the Pack.
NC State, after playing four games in the last eight days, will get a well-deserved rest. Next up is a trip out West to play Arizona on Friday, November 24 in Tucson. Then the Pack will play UC Santa Barbara on Sunday.
PACK POINTS
NC State has not trailed in its three victories this year...the Pack improves to 3-0 all-time verses the Seahawks...Whittington was one rebound shy of her third double-digit carom total of the year.
