North Carolina State University Athletics
Fields Leads Wolfpack Women to Victory over Catamounts
12/30/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
RALEIGH, N.C. Shayla Fields scored a game-high 16 points to lead three NC State players in double figures in a 72-53 victory over Western Carolina Sunday afternoon at Reynolds Coliseum.
Khadijah Whittington shook off a knee sprain that limited her to just two first-half minutes to score 15 points and grab nine rebounds in only 20 minutes of work. Chanita Jordan took her place in the post and stepped up big with a career-high 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting.
Monique Dawson paced Western Carolina (8-4) with 15 points, while Jessika Johnson and Ashley Pellom each tossed in 10 points for the Lady Catamounts.
After already notching wins over Clemson, Middle Tennessee and a nationally ranked Louisville club earlier in the season, NC State (12-3) knew a fourth straight win wouldn’t be easy.
And it became even tougher when Whittington, the ACC’s leading rebounder and second leading scorer went down with 17:34 left in the opening half. But the Pack refused to let up and would actually take a 34-30 lead into intermission.
Jordan, the sophomore from Philadelphia, paved the way by making all four shots she took and had 11 points by half. The Pack was also efficient from the charity stripe, going 9-for-10.
With Whittington back in the lineup for the second half, the offense ran smoother and the defense played stronger.
Pellom seemed to be the only one able so solve the Pack’s defense, converting three driving layups in the first 6:55 of the half. But the rest of the team missed all six of its shots and only made one of four free throws, allowed the Wolfpack to grab a 46-37 lead.
The lead dipped to 48-40 after Dawson’s conventional three-point play, but that was the closest the Lady Catamounts would get. A 7-0 run fueled by a pair of Whittington buckets put the crowd at ease up 15, 55-40 with 9:13 left.
Lucy Ellison also chipped in nicely on the block with 12 rebounds and two of the Pack’s nine blocks.
NC State begins conference play next Sunday at Boston College at 1 pm.
Khadijah Whittington shook off a knee sprain that limited her to just two first-half minutes to score 15 points and grab nine rebounds in only 20 minutes of work. Chanita Jordan took her place in the post and stepped up big with a career-high 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting.
Monique Dawson paced Western Carolina (8-4) with 15 points, while Jessika Johnson and Ashley Pellom each tossed in 10 points for the Lady Catamounts.
After already notching wins over Clemson, Middle Tennessee and a nationally ranked Louisville club earlier in the season, NC State (12-3) knew a fourth straight win wouldn’t be easy.
And it became even tougher when Whittington, the ACC’s leading rebounder and second leading scorer went down with 17:34 left in the opening half. But the Pack refused to let up and would actually take a 34-30 lead into intermission.
Jordan, the sophomore from Philadelphia, paved the way by making all four shots she took and had 11 points by half. The Pack was also efficient from the charity stripe, going 9-for-10.
With Whittington back in the lineup for the second half, the offense ran smoother and the defense played stronger.
Pellom seemed to be the only one able so solve the Pack’s defense, converting three driving layups in the first 6:55 of the half. But the rest of the team missed all six of its shots and only made one of four free throws, allowed the Wolfpack to grab a 46-37 lead.
The lead dipped to 48-40 after Dawson’s conventional three-point play, but that was the closest the Lady Catamounts would get. A 7-0 run fueled by a pair of Whittington buckets put the crowd at ease up 15, 55-40 with 9:13 left.
Lucy Ellison also chipped in nicely on the block with 12 rebounds and two of the Pack’s nine blocks.
NC State begins conference play next Sunday at Boston College at 1 pm.
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