North Carolina State University Athletics
Whittington Grabs Benchmark Rebound in Win over VT
1/25/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
BY BRANDON YOPP
RALEIGH, N.C. Khadijah Whittington added yet another footnote to her illustrious career on Friday night as NC State topped Virginia Tech, 60-50, at historic Reynolds Coliseum.
With 4:48 on the clock in the second half, the Pack’s often-heralded senior leader pulled down her 1,000th career rebound, becoming just the fourth player in school history, 16th in the ACC, to reach that plateau. If that wasn’t enough, she is the second person in conference history to obtain 1,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 200 steals and 100 blocks.
Whittington’s 24 point, 15 rebound effort, the 33rd double-double of her tenure, paved the way for the Pack’s (13-7, 1-4 ACC) first conference decision of the season. Shayla Fields supplied 14 points of her own, while Nikitta Gartrell and Glorida Brown both offered six.
“Our first ACC win,” said Yow. “Hopefully this will lead us to more wins. We’ve got to make up for some early conference losses.”
Andrea Barbour put up 20 points for the Hokies (13-8, 0-6 ACC) despite being held to four points in the second frame. Virginia Tech’s 15 turnovers made things much easier for the Pack, resulting in 16 points.
Tech’s turnover woes came as a breath of fresh air to Yow and company. State’s 10 turnovers on the evening mark the fewest of the season for the group, which had averaged 22 miscues in its past four contests alone.
Both offenses were missing in action until Barbour supplied back-to-back free throws at 16:54 to give the Hokies the first two points of the game. Despite the fact that Barbour went on to score 14 more points in the half, the rest of Tech’s offense remained in neutral for the most part with baskets from other personnel coming few and far in-between.
NC State, on the other hand, took advantage. Whittington personally outscored the Hokies, minus Barbour, 12-10, and the Pack collected 15 rebounds en route to entering the locker room at the half with a 29-26 advantage. The red and white turned five offensive rebounds into 10 second-chance points, while scoring an additional nine points off of Tech’s seven turnovers.
Scoring escaped the Pack in the second half until Sharnise Beal converted two free throws with 15:52 on the clock, sparking a 7-0 State run over three minutes. Chanita Jordan extended the lead to 39-33 with a lay-up at 9:34, and back-to-back baskets by Whittington put the Pack up by 10 moments later.
VT trimmed the lead to five on an Utahya Drye basket and free throw at 5:50, but Whittington immediately answered with a bucket of her own on the other end of the floor.
State only led by six with a minute remaining, but an Amber Hall rebound off of a Laura Haskins missed allowed the Pack to trim some time from the clock before Fields sank two from the charity stripe to put the contest out of reach.
NC State is right back to work Sunday at home against Wake Forest for a 12:30 pm tip off.
RALEIGH, N.C. Khadijah Whittington added yet another footnote to her illustrious career on Friday night as NC State topped Virginia Tech, 60-50, at historic Reynolds Coliseum.
With 4:48 on the clock in the second half, the Pack’s often-heralded senior leader pulled down her 1,000th career rebound, becoming just the fourth player in school history, 16th in the ACC, to reach that plateau. If that wasn’t enough, she is the second person in conference history to obtain 1,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 200 steals and 100 blocks.
Whittington’s 24 point, 15 rebound effort, the 33rd double-double of her tenure, paved the way for the Pack’s (13-7, 1-4 ACC) first conference decision of the season. Shayla Fields supplied 14 points of her own, while Nikitta Gartrell and Glorida Brown both offered six.
“Our first ACC win,” said Yow. “Hopefully this will lead us to more wins. We’ve got to make up for some early conference losses.”
Andrea Barbour put up 20 points for the Hokies (13-8, 0-6 ACC) despite being held to four points in the second frame. Virginia Tech’s 15 turnovers made things much easier for the Pack, resulting in 16 points.
Tech’s turnover woes came as a breath of fresh air to Yow and company. State’s 10 turnovers on the evening mark the fewest of the season for the group, which had averaged 22 miscues in its past four contests alone.
Both offenses were missing in action until Barbour supplied back-to-back free throws at 16:54 to give the Hokies the first two points of the game. Despite the fact that Barbour went on to score 14 more points in the half, the rest of Tech’s offense remained in neutral for the most part with baskets from other personnel coming few and far in-between.
NC State, on the other hand, took advantage. Whittington personally outscored the Hokies, minus Barbour, 12-10, and the Pack collected 15 rebounds en route to entering the locker room at the half with a 29-26 advantage. The red and white turned five offensive rebounds into 10 second-chance points, while scoring an additional nine points off of Tech’s seven turnovers.
Scoring escaped the Pack in the second half until Sharnise Beal converted two free throws with 15:52 on the clock, sparking a 7-0 State run over three minutes. Chanita Jordan extended the lead to 39-33 with a lay-up at 9:34, and back-to-back baskets by Whittington put the Pack up by 10 moments later.
VT trimmed the lead to five on an Utahya Drye basket and free throw at 5:50, but Whittington immediately answered with a bucket of her own on the other end of the floor.
State only led by six with a minute remaining, but an Amber Hall rebound off of a Laura Haskins missed allowed the Pack to trim some time from the clock before Fields sank two from the charity stripe to put the contest out of reach.
NC State is right back to work Sunday at home against Wake Forest for a 12:30 pm tip off.
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