North Carolina State University Athletics
Slow Start Dooms Pack In Loss at Michigan
12/5/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. NC State dug itself another deep hole it couldn’t get out of Friday night against Michigan in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
And though the Wolfpack cut a deficit that grew to 21 points in the second half down to seven, Michigan (5-3) had more than enough for a 63-52 victory at Crisler Arena.
Brittany Strachan paced NC State (4-4) with 13 points, while Nikitta Gartrell provided 12 points in the Pack’s third straight setback.
Carly Benson had 16 for Michigan and Jessica Minnfield and Stephany Skrba added 15 and 10 points respectively.
Michigan showed a concerted effort from the start to shoot the three-pointer and Benson got hot quickly with three from beyond the arc in the opening 7:39 to take a 16-4 lead.
At the other end NC State was having problems putting the ball in the hoop going over six minutes without a bucket allowed the Wolverines to lead by as many as 14.
Six straight, including Sharnise Beal’s first points of the season on a jumper in the paint, made it 18-10 with 8:55 left until halftime, but the Pack’s offense never got rolling and couldn’t get any closer the rest of the first half. A short jumper by Lucy Ellison kept NC State within eight, 24-16 at the 4:46 mark.
However, Benson added her fourth triple late in the half for a 33-18 lead with less than a minute left and cruised into the intermission up 33-19 at the break.
Melinda Queen’s bucket at 14:20 put the Wolverines up 41-20 for the largest deficit the Pack would face this evening.
At the 11:37 mark Gartrell took over and scored 10 straight for the Pack that cut the lead down to 11 with 8:27 left.
It got down to a seven-point game after a Strachan three with 2:06 left, but the home standing Wolverines held on for the win.
Beal scored seven in her first action this year, while Inga Muciniece added six points and eight rebounds off the bench for the Pack.
NC State returns home to take on Florida Sunday at 2 p.m. from Reynolds Coliseum.
And though the Wolfpack cut a deficit that grew to 21 points in the second half down to seven, Michigan (5-3) had more than enough for a 63-52 victory at Crisler Arena.
Brittany Strachan paced NC State (4-4) with 13 points, while Nikitta Gartrell provided 12 points in the Pack’s third straight setback.
Carly Benson had 16 for Michigan and Jessica Minnfield and Stephany Skrba added 15 and 10 points respectively.
Michigan showed a concerted effort from the start to shoot the three-pointer and Benson got hot quickly with three from beyond the arc in the opening 7:39 to take a 16-4 lead.
At the other end NC State was having problems putting the ball in the hoop going over six minutes without a bucket allowed the Wolverines to lead by as many as 14.
Six straight, including Sharnise Beal’s first points of the season on a jumper in the paint, made it 18-10 with 8:55 left until halftime, but the Pack’s offense never got rolling and couldn’t get any closer the rest of the first half. A short jumper by Lucy Ellison kept NC State within eight, 24-16 at the 4:46 mark.
However, Benson added her fourth triple late in the half for a 33-18 lead with less than a minute left and cruised into the intermission up 33-19 at the break.
Melinda Queen’s bucket at 14:20 put the Wolverines up 41-20 for the largest deficit the Pack would face this evening.
At the 11:37 mark Gartrell took over and scored 10 straight for the Pack that cut the lead down to 11 with 8:27 left.
It got down to a seven-point game after a Strachan three with 2:06 left, but the home standing Wolverines held on for the win.
Beal scored seven in her first action this year, while Inga Muciniece added six points and eight rebounds off the bench for the Pack.
NC State returns home to take on Florida Sunday at 2 p.m. from Reynolds Coliseum.
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