North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State Pulls Out 60-58 Win Over Columbia
1/5/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
RALEIGH, N.C. – The NC State women’s basketball team is learning to win and tonight it was forced to win an ugly one, 60-58, over a scrappy Columbia squad Monday night at Reynolds Coliseum.
Sharnise Beal preserved the victory by blocking a three-point attempt in the final second to give NC State (10-5) its third-straight win in the final tune up before conference season begins.
Junior Tia Bell, who had a double-double effort off the bench with 14 points and 10 rebounds, didn’t mind the way the Wolfpack won tonight because a win is always a win.
“We’ll take an ugly win as long as we learn from it,” explained Bell.
What did NC State learn tonight?
“We’re going to look at this game and see that we need to box out better,” said senior Nikitta Gartrell, who led the Pack with 15 points.
And that will come at a crucial time as the ACC season begins Thursday when Maryland comes to town.
Judie Lomax, the heart-and-sole of Columbia, came into the game averaging a double-double. She showed why with 16 points and 20 boards in a performance that nearly pulled off a stunner for the visitors.
Her layup midway through the second half gave Columbia (8-5) a 47-41 lead.
The Pack was able to score the next two buckets of the game to cut the advantage down to a two-point margin and it was a one-possession game the rest of the way.
Five lead changes over the final 5:45 left the outcome in the balance, however, the final one came on two free throws by Bell with 71 seconds left in the game.
Amber White added another from the stripe for a 60-58 lead.
Columbia missed two good looks in the final 20 seconds and Beal swatted away the third and final attempt when she came out of a scrum in the paint and sent Kathleen Barry’s shot rolling towards the other side of the court and the NC State bench erupted in celebration.
“If you play ugly and win we’ll take it,” said head coach Kellie Harper. The way I look at it, if you did it 20 times you would have 20 wins.”
Harper also stressed the importance of being ready to play no matter who the opponent is.
“Every game I played in college (at Tennessee) we we’re the opponents biggest game. A really good team comes to play regardless of their opponent. When you’re in the ACC it’s a big game for any non-conference opponent.”
The Lions, who lost by 20, 78-58, to the Wolfpack just before Christmas last season up in New York, didn’t blink all night as the club was well prepared to play.
Barry scored a game-high 18 points to go with Lomax’s heroics in the paint.
A 13-4 run by the Wolfpack gave the team a 23-14 lead with just 8:30 remaining until halftime, but Columbia methodically got back into the game and trailed just 33-29 at the intermission.
NC State and Maryland will tip-off from Reynolds Thursday at 7 p.m. Fans can watch a live video broadcast through the GoPack.com’s Pack Pass video platform.
Sharnise Beal preserved the victory by blocking a three-point attempt in the final second to give NC State (10-5) its third-straight win in the final tune up before conference season begins.
Junior Tia Bell, who had a double-double effort off the bench with 14 points and 10 rebounds, didn’t mind the way the Wolfpack won tonight because a win is always a win.
“We’ll take an ugly win as long as we learn from it,” explained Bell.
What did NC State learn tonight?
“We’re going to look at this game and see that we need to box out better,” said senior Nikitta Gartrell, who led the Pack with 15 points.
And that will come at a crucial time as the ACC season begins Thursday when Maryland comes to town.
Judie Lomax, the heart-and-sole of Columbia, came into the game averaging a double-double. She showed why with 16 points and 20 boards in a performance that nearly pulled off a stunner for the visitors.
Her layup midway through the second half gave Columbia (8-5) a 47-41 lead.
The Pack was able to score the next two buckets of the game to cut the advantage down to a two-point margin and it was a one-possession game the rest of the way.
Five lead changes over the final 5:45 left the outcome in the balance, however, the final one came on two free throws by Bell with 71 seconds left in the game.
Amber White added another from the stripe for a 60-58 lead.
Columbia missed two good looks in the final 20 seconds and Beal swatted away the third and final attempt when she came out of a scrum in the paint and sent Kathleen Barry’s shot rolling towards the other side of the court and the NC State bench erupted in celebration.
“If you play ugly and win we’ll take it,” said head coach Kellie Harper. The way I look at it, if you did it 20 times you would have 20 wins.”
Harper also stressed the importance of being ready to play no matter who the opponent is.
“Every game I played in college (at Tennessee) we we’re the opponents biggest game. A really good team comes to play regardless of their opponent. When you’re in the ACC it’s a big game for any non-conference opponent.”
The Lions, who lost by 20, 78-58, to the Wolfpack just before Christmas last season up in New York, didn’t blink all night as the club was well prepared to play.
Barry scored a game-high 18 points to go with Lomax’s heroics in the paint.
A 13-4 run by the Wolfpack gave the team a 23-14 lead with just 8:30 remaining until halftime, but Columbia methodically got back into the game and trailed just 33-29 at the intermission.
NC State and Maryland will tip-off from Reynolds Thursday at 7 p.m. Fans can watch a live video broadcast through the GoPack.com’s Pack Pass video platform.
Coach Moore Postgame Presser (Syracuse)
Sunday, February 22
WBB Players Postgame Presser (Syracuse)
Sunday, February 22
Brooks, Coach Moore Postgame at VT
Sunday, February 08
Coach Moore Postgame Presser (Florida State)
Thursday, February 05