Saturday, December 16
Raleigh
6PM
NC State
10-2
70
vs
57
Elon
7-3
1
2
3
4
F
Elon
10
12
16
19
57
NC State
11
25
15
19
70
NC State Earns 70-57 Win over Elon
12/16/2017 8:51:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Wolfpack leads for 37:36 of game’s 40 minutes
December 16, 2017
RALEIGH – In a game featuring two of the top rebounding teams in NCAA women's basketball this season, the NC State women's basketball team (10-2) won the battle of the boards and outscored Elon 16-1 in second-chance points en route to picking up a 70-57 victory Saturday evening inside Reynolds Coliseum.
The victory marked NC State's second four-game win streak of the season, improved the team to 8-0 at home this year, and marks the best start to a campaign since the 2013-14 team began 11-1.
Chelsea Nelson put up her second double-double in a row and her fifth of the season as she led NC State in both scoring (15) and rebounding (11). Akela Maize added 14 points on 5-10 shooting and three blocks on the defensive end. Kaila Ealey scored 11 points, nine of those coming from fourth quarter free throws, and Kiara Leslie recorded 10.
Elon's Ra'Shika White led all scorers with 20 points on 9-13 shooting, and Shay Burnett joined her in double digits with 14 for the Phoenix.
"We had our moments," NC State head coach Wes Moore said in his postgame press conference. "In the first half, I thought we played pretty well. We did some of the things that we wanted to focus on. We allowed zero fast break points in the first half. Offensively, 36 points (is) not bad, I guess. We're trying to put 40 full minutes together. That was our goal tonight, and I don't feel quite like we did that. We gave up 10 transition points in the second half, and then we gave up a lot of points in the paint in the second half. I thought Ra'Shika White, she really was a handful for us, trying to guard her inside. We tried trapping her some, doubling her a little bit. (Shay) Burnett, coming off a pick on the ball, we tried to mix that up, trap her a little bit, make her give it up. They did a nice job of spreading the floor. When we did double, they did a pretty good job of finding the open person. Elon's a very well-coached team and a scrappy team. They play hard, and we knew it would be a 40-minute game."
After shooting 8-16 from the field in the second quarter, NC State carried a 14-point lead (36-22) into the halftime break.
Elon went on a 7-0 run out of the fourth quarter media timeout to trim NC State's lead to seven (60-53) and managed to get within five (62-57) with under two minutes left, but the Wolfpack remained consistent from behind the charity stripe as Ealey went 8-8 from the line during the final 70 seconds of the game to close out the win.
"Coach (Moore) really stressed that the two games that we lost were because of free throws," senior center Akela Maize said in the postgame press conference after going 4-5 from the line herself. "We didn't hit them. In practice, we do a lot more free throw shooting, free throw streaks, things like that, and (running) punishments for missed free throws. That always motivates players to make the free throws."
The Wolfpack will hit the road for its next two games, first heading to Nashville, Tenn. where the team is set to face Vanderbilt on Tuesday, Dec. 19. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. EST, with live video coverage provided by SEC Network+. NC State then opens Atlantic Coast Conference play at Virginia Tech on Thursday, Dec. 28 at 2:30 p.m.
#GoPack | @PackWomensBball
RALEIGH – In a game featuring two of the top rebounding teams in NCAA women's basketball this season, the NC State women's basketball team (10-2) won the battle of the boards and outscored Elon 16-1 in second-chance points en route to picking up a 70-57 victory Saturday evening inside Reynolds Coliseum.
The victory marked NC State's second four-game win streak of the season, improved the team to 8-0 at home this year, and marks the best start to a campaign since the 2013-14 team began 11-1.
Chelsea Nelson put up her second double-double in a row and her fifth of the season as she led NC State in both scoring (15) and rebounding (11). Akela Maize added 14 points on 5-10 shooting and three blocks on the defensive end. Kaila Ealey scored 11 points, nine of those coming from fourth quarter free throws, and Kiara Leslie recorded 10.
Elon's Ra'Shika White led all scorers with 20 points on 9-13 shooting, and Shay Burnett joined her in double digits with 14 for the Phoenix.
"We had our moments," NC State head coach Wes Moore said in his postgame press conference. "In the first half, I thought we played pretty well. We did some of the things that we wanted to focus on. We allowed zero fast break points in the first half. Offensively, 36 points (is) not bad, I guess. We're trying to put 40 full minutes together. That was our goal tonight, and I don't feel quite like we did that. We gave up 10 transition points in the second half, and then we gave up a lot of points in the paint in the second half. I thought Ra'Shika White, she really was a handful for us, trying to guard her inside. We tried trapping her some, doubling her a little bit. (Shay) Burnett, coming off a pick on the ball, we tried to mix that up, trap her a little bit, make her give it up. They did a nice job of spreading the floor. When we did double, they did a pretty good job of finding the open person. Elon's a very well-coached team and a scrappy team. They play hard, and we knew it would be a 40-minute game."
After shooting 8-16 from the field in the second quarter, NC State carried a 14-point lead (36-22) into the halftime break.
Elon went on a 7-0 run out of the fourth quarter media timeout to trim NC State's lead to seven (60-53) and managed to get within five (62-57) with under two minutes left, but the Wolfpack remained consistent from behind the charity stripe as Ealey went 8-8 from the line during the final 70 seconds of the game to close out the win.
"Coach (Moore) really stressed that the two games that we lost were because of free throws," senior center Akela Maize said in the postgame press conference after going 4-5 from the line herself. "We didn't hit them. In practice, we do a lot more free throw shooting, free throw streaks, things like that, and (running) punishments for missed free throws. That always motivates players to make the free throws."
The Wolfpack will hit the road for its next two games, first heading to Nashville, Tenn. where the team is set to face Vanderbilt on Tuesday, Dec. 19. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. EST, with live video coverage provided by SEC Network+. NC State then opens Atlantic Coast Conference play at Virginia Tech on Thursday, Dec. 28 at 2:30 p.m.
#GoPack | @PackWomensBball
Team Stats
ELON
ST
FG%
.424
.375
3FG%
.188
.313
FT%
.500
.821
RB
33
40
TO
18
14
STL
4
8
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
15
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
5
Pts
14
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Pts
11
FGM
1
3FGM
0
FTM
9
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
1
Players Mentioned
Guard
/ Women's BasketballGuard
/ Women's BasketballCenter
/ Women's BasketballForward
/ Women's BasketballZamareya Jones Summer Media Availability
Wednesday, July 23
Coach Moore Summer Media Availability
Wednesday, July 23
Aziaha James Introductory Press Conference with Dallas Wings
Wednesday, April 23
Saniya Rivers Introductory Presser with Connecticut Sun
Tuesday, April 15