North Carolina State University Athletics
Wolfpack Falls 81-69 To North Carolina
1/26/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Italee Lucas never looked worried. The shots that didn't drop in the first half were going to fall.
Boy, did they.
Lucas scored 28 of her career-high 33 points in the second half and No. 12 North Carolina rallied to beat North Carolina State 81-69 on Monday night.
Freshman reserve Waltiea Rolle added 12 points for the Tar Heels (16-3, 4-1 Atlantic Coast Conference), who trailed by nine midway through the second half. North Carolina has won 18 of 20 meetings in the series, including the past three at NC State's Reynolds Coliseum.
Lucas' big night spoiled the first rivalry game for Kellie Harper at NC State, where she took on the unenviable challenge of being the successor to Hall of Fame coach Kay Yow. Lucas had five points despite going 0 for 5 from the field in the first half, but went 10 for 17 after the break with a pair of 3-pointers.
"When the game's on the line and you realize you haven't had a very aggressive offensive game in the first half, you have to step up in the second half knowing your teammates are depending on you," Lucas said.
It was a familiar scenario for coach Sylvia Hatchell, who last week called out Lucas at halftime against Maryland when her leading scorer went scoreless. Lucas had 12 points in the second half of that win.
Hatchell did it again Monday with the Tar Heels trailing 29-28.
"I called out the stats at halftime because they were not good for Cetera (DeGraffenreid), for Italee or for She'la (White)," Hatchell said. "I told them, 'Y'all have got to lead this team. You've got to pick up the tempo out there.'"
Rolle proved pretty valuable too, anchoring the paint when starter Chay Shegog got into foul trouble. The 6-foot-6 rookie used her long frame to pull down eight rebounds, block seven shots and alter countless more in the decisive minutes.
In addition, sophomore forward Laura Broomfield pulled down a career-high 16 rebounds.
For a time, it seemed that Harper might have a successful debut against the Tar Heels. It was clear she knew Wolfpack fans cared more about this game than others from the day she was formally introduced as Yow's successor, talking about beating "our neighbors who wear various shades of blue" a reference to the Tar Heels and Duke, each located within a half-hour drive from here.
But she was frustrated by her team's execution particularly as it failed to execute defensive adjustments against Lucas and said Lucas' scoring splurge rattled her players.
NC State (12-8, 2-3) shot just 31 percent, including a woeful 2-for-20 night from senior Nikitta Gartrell. Brittany Strachan led the Wolfpack with 16 points.
"Hopefully we will learn we can't panic," Harper said. "We started the game with a lot of poise and when things were going well, we maintained that poise. When things weren't going well, when they made their run, that's when you need it most. That's when you have to be your best and your toughest."
NC State appeared to gain control when it built a 51-42 lead on a 3-pointer from Emili Tasler at the 12-minute mark. But by that point, Lucas was warmed up and ready to take over.
She answered Tasler's 3 with a long one of her own. Then, after a stickback score from Rolle, Lucas hit a scooping shot in the lane followed by another 3 that cut the Wolfpack's lead to 54-52. A few minutes later, Lucas took a pass near the basket and hit a reverse layup over Sharnise Beal for a 58-57 lead with 8:07 left, the Tar Heels' first lead of the second half.
Lucas bested her previous career high of 29 points with a pair of free throws with 6:17 left, ending a run in which she scored 18 of 24 points for the Tar Heels to turn a 46-40 deficit into a 64-60 lead.
Rolle was the only other Tar Heel to score during that run until DeGraffenreid banked in a shot in the lane with 5:19 left. Then, after two free throws from Rolle, White took a feed from Lucas and buried a contested 3-pointer in the far corner to give North Carolina a 71-62 lead with 3:17 left.
NC State got no closer than six points the rest of the way, with the Tar Heels pulling away in the final minute thanks in part to their 28-for-35 foul shooting on the night which included 20 straight to end the game.
Boy, did they.
Lucas scored 28 of her career-high 33 points in the second half and No. 12 North Carolina rallied to beat North Carolina State 81-69 on Monday night.
Freshman reserve Waltiea Rolle added 12 points for the Tar Heels (16-3, 4-1 Atlantic Coast Conference), who trailed by nine midway through the second half. North Carolina has won 18 of 20 meetings in the series, including the past three at NC State's Reynolds Coliseum.
Lucas' big night spoiled the first rivalry game for Kellie Harper at NC State, where she took on the unenviable challenge of being the successor to Hall of Fame coach Kay Yow. Lucas had five points despite going 0 for 5 from the field in the first half, but went 10 for 17 after the break with a pair of 3-pointers.
"When the game's on the line and you realize you haven't had a very aggressive offensive game in the first half, you have to step up in the second half knowing your teammates are depending on you," Lucas said.
It was a familiar scenario for coach Sylvia Hatchell, who last week called out Lucas at halftime against Maryland when her leading scorer went scoreless. Lucas had 12 points in the second half of that win.
Hatchell did it again Monday with the Tar Heels trailing 29-28.
"I called out the stats at halftime because they were not good for Cetera (DeGraffenreid), for Italee or for She'la (White)," Hatchell said. "I told them, 'Y'all have got to lead this team. You've got to pick up the tempo out there.'"
Rolle proved pretty valuable too, anchoring the paint when starter Chay Shegog got into foul trouble. The 6-foot-6 rookie used her long frame to pull down eight rebounds, block seven shots and alter countless more in the decisive minutes.
In addition, sophomore forward Laura Broomfield pulled down a career-high 16 rebounds.
For a time, it seemed that Harper might have a successful debut against the Tar Heels. It was clear she knew Wolfpack fans cared more about this game than others from the day she was formally introduced as Yow's successor, talking about beating "our neighbors who wear various shades of blue" a reference to the Tar Heels and Duke, each located within a half-hour drive from here.
But she was frustrated by her team's execution particularly as it failed to execute defensive adjustments against Lucas and said Lucas' scoring splurge rattled her players.
NC State (12-8, 2-3) shot just 31 percent, including a woeful 2-for-20 night from senior Nikitta Gartrell. Brittany Strachan led the Wolfpack with 16 points.
"Hopefully we will learn we can't panic," Harper said. "We started the game with a lot of poise and when things were going well, we maintained that poise. When things weren't going well, when they made their run, that's when you need it most. That's when you have to be your best and your toughest."
NC State appeared to gain control when it built a 51-42 lead on a 3-pointer from Emili Tasler at the 12-minute mark. But by that point, Lucas was warmed up and ready to take over.
She answered Tasler's 3 with a long one of her own. Then, after a stickback score from Rolle, Lucas hit a scooping shot in the lane followed by another 3 that cut the Wolfpack's lead to 54-52. A few minutes later, Lucas took a pass near the basket and hit a reverse layup over Sharnise Beal for a 58-57 lead with 8:07 left, the Tar Heels' first lead of the second half.
Lucas bested her previous career high of 29 points with a pair of free throws with 6:17 left, ending a run in which she scored 18 of 24 points for the Tar Heels to turn a 46-40 deficit into a 64-60 lead.
Rolle was the only other Tar Heel to score during that run until DeGraffenreid banked in a shot in the lane with 5:19 left. Then, after two free throws from Rolle, White took a feed from Lucas and buried a contested 3-pointer in the far corner to give North Carolina a 71-62 lead with 3:17 left.
NC State got no closer than six points the rest of the way, with the Tar Heels pulling away in the final minute thanks in part to their 28-for-35 foul shooting on the night which included 20 straight to end the game.
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