Thursday, November 22
Cancun, Mexico
6:30PM
NC State
78
vs
74
Michigan State
#15 Wolfpack Defeats Previously Unbeaten Spartans
11/22/2018 8:42:00 PM | Women's Basketball
NC State opens Cancun Challenge with big win over Michigan State
November 22, 2018
CANCUN, Mexico – The 15th-ranked NC State women's basketball team (5-0) picked up an impressive 78-74 victory over the previously unbeaten Michigan State Spartans (3-1) Thursday afternoon in both teams' opening action at the 2018 Cancun Challenge.
NC State led for 35:30 of the game's 40 minutes and four Wolfpack players scored in double figures while two (Kiara Leslie and Grace Hunter) registered double-doubles in the victory. Leslie scored 17 points and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds while Hunter recorded 16 and 11, respectively. Teammate Aislinn Konig added 16 and Erika Cassell chipped in 12 on 4-6 shooting and a perfect 4-4 mark from the free-throw line.
NC State shot 27-60 (.450) from the field, hit nine three-pointers, and went 16-21 (.762) from the FT line. The Wolfpack out-rebounded the Spartans 47-38 and held the 24th-ranked offense in the country 12 points below its season scoring average and nearly nine percentage points lower from three-point range.
Michigan State's Shay Colley led all players with 20 points and seven rebounds. She was joined in double figures by Taryn McCutcheon (16 points), Victoria Gaines (15), and Jenna Allen (11).
In a very exciting first half that featured three ties and seven lead changes, NC State shot 17-35 (.486) from the field and out-rebounded Michigan State 23-18 to take a 42-36 advantage into the locker room. The Wolfpack used a 14-0 run during the final 4:58 of the of the first quarter to turn a 12-11 deficit into a 25-12 lead. Michigan State responded in the second quarter, erasing NC State's advantage when Taryn McCutcheon hit a three with 4:12 remaining in the half to even the scores at 32 apiece.
NC State used a 10-4 run through the remainder of the half to reclaim its advantage heading into the break.
Michigan State pulled within two points (52-50) early in the third quarter before freshman Elissa Cunane manufactured a 5-0 run of her own. The center sank two free throws to make it 54-50 and then scored through contact and finished out a three-point play just a few seconds later to extend her team's advantage to 57-50. NC State took a 59-53 advantage into the final 10 minutes of action.
The Wolfpack would extend its lead as far as 11 (66-55) with 5:51 remaining in the game, but Michigan State mounted a furious comeback to force an exciting finish. The Spartans pulled within four points with 38 seconds remaining and forced an NC State turnover on the ensuing play. Gaines then scored a layup with 15 seconds remaining to cut NC State's lead to 74-72. Cassell hit two clutch free throws to extend it to 76-72 before Gaines responded again with a jumper that trimmed the Wolfpack's lead to 76-74.
Hunter then hit two free throws with one second remaining to seal the win.
NC State concludes play at the 2018 Cancun Challenge on Friday, Nov. 23 against reigning Atlantic 10 champion George Washington. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 pm ET with free live video coverage provided by the CBS Sports Network.
#GoPack | @PackWomensBball
CANCUN, Mexico – The 15th-ranked NC State women's basketball team (5-0) picked up an impressive 78-74 victory over the previously unbeaten Michigan State Spartans (3-1) Thursday afternoon in both teams' opening action at the 2018 Cancun Challenge.
NC State led for 35:30 of the game's 40 minutes and four Wolfpack players scored in double figures while two (Kiara Leslie and Grace Hunter) registered double-doubles in the victory. Leslie scored 17 points and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds while Hunter recorded 16 and 11, respectively. Teammate Aislinn Konig added 16 and Erika Cassell chipped in 12 on 4-6 shooting and a perfect 4-4 mark from the free-throw line.
NC State shot 27-60 (.450) from the field, hit nine three-pointers, and went 16-21 (.762) from the FT line. The Wolfpack out-rebounded the Spartans 47-38 and held the 24th-ranked offense in the country 12 points below its season scoring average and nearly nine percentage points lower from three-point range.
Michigan State's Shay Colley led all players with 20 points and seven rebounds. She was joined in double figures by Taryn McCutcheon (16 points), Victoria Gaines (15), and Jenna Allen (11).
In a very exciting first half that featured three ties and seven lead changes, NC State shot 17-35 (.486) from the field and out-rebounded Michigan State 23-18 to take a 42-36 advantage into the locker room. The Wolfpack used a 14-0 run during the final 4:58 of the of the first quarter to turn a 12-11 deficit into a 25-12 lead. Michigan State responded in the second quarter, erasing NC State's advantage when Taryn McCutcheon hit a three with 4:12 remaining in the half to even the scores at 32 apiece.
NC State used a 10-4 run through the remainder of the half to reclaim its advantage heading into the break.
Michigan State pulled within two points (52-50) early in the third quarter before freshman Elissa Cunane manufactured a 5-0 run of her own. The center sank two free throws to make it 54-50 and then scored through contact and finished out a three-point play just a few seconds later to extend her team's advantage to 57-50. NC State took a 59-53 advantage into the final 10 minutes of action.
The Wolfpack would extend its lead as far as 11 (66-55) with 5:51 remaining in the game, but Michigan State mounted a furious comeback to force an exciting finish. The Spartans pulled within four points with 38 seconds remaining and forced an NC State turnover on the ensuing play. Gaines then scored a layup with 15 seconds remaining to cut NC State's lead to 74-72. Cassell hit two clutch free throws to extend it to 76-72 before Gaines responded again with a jumper that trimmed the Wolfpack's lead to 76-74.
Hunter then hit two free throws with one second remaining to seal the win.
NC State concludes play at the 2018 Cancun Challenge on Friday, Nov. 23 against reigning Atlantic 10 champion George Washington. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 pm ET with free live video coverage provided by the CBS Sports Network.
#GoPack | @PackWomensBball
Players Mentioned
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