#17 Wolfpack Defeats Belmont 77-62 to Open Season

Wednesday, November 7

Raleigh, NC

7PM

NC State

1-0

Belmont

0-1

Team	1	2	3	4	F
Belmont	19	17	16	10	62
#17 NC State	16	13	26	22	77

#17 Wolfpack Defeats Belmont 77-62 to Open Season

11/7/2018 9:09:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score @packwomensbball

NC State has not lost a season-opener since 2002

November 7, 2018

RALEIGH – The 17th-ranked NC State women's basketball team began a new year with a win for the 16th consecutive season on Wednesday evening, defeating the visiting Belmont Bruins by a final score of 77-62.

Five Wolfpack players scored in double figures on Wednesday evening, with newcomer Grace Hunter's 16 points on 8-11 shooting leading the way for both teams. She was joined in double figures by sophomore Kai Crutchfield (15 points), freshman Elissa Cunane (12 points on 4-4 shooting), junior Aislinn Konig (11 points), and graduate student Kiara Leslie (10 points). Konig and Leslie narrowly missed out on double-doubles, each grabbing nine rebounds.

Postgame Notes
-This was the first meeting between the teams.
-NC State outscored Belmont 40-22 in the paint.
-The Wolfpack outscored the Bruins 48-26 in the second half.
-Not factoring in freshmen playing in their first games at NC State, Wolfpack players set 13 individual career highs in the win.

The Wolfpack trailed by seven at halftime but came out of the break hot, hitting six of its first seven shots in the second half to regain a lead. NC State shot 10-15 (.667) in the third quarter to build its advantage over Belmont and kept its foot on the gas pedal in the fourth quarter by shooting 10-13 (.769) to close out the game.

The Bruins led by as many as eight points (14-6) in the first quarter. Jones nailed a three from the corner with 3:18 left in the opening period to cut into the visiting team's lead, and NC State trailed by just three (19-16) through ten minutes of action.

Belmont opened the second quarter with a 9-3 run to extend its lead to 28-19, its biggest advantage of the game. NC State responded with a 9-2 run of its own to come within two late in the first half, but the Bruins nailed two threes to close out the half and take a 36-29 lead into the break.

After a strong start to the third quarter, Cunane laid one in with 2:38 left in the period to give NC State a 49-47 advantage, its first time in front since leading 4-3 with 7:44 remaining in the first quarter. With NC State leading 59-56 in the fourth quarter, Hunter hit a jumper with 8:07 remaining in the game to give the Wolfpack a 61-56 advantage. This started an 18-0 run that spanned 5:24 and gave NC State a comfortable 77-56 lead down the stretch.

NC State will be back in action at home on Sunday, Nov. 11 against Kent State. Tip-off between the Wolfpack and the Golden Flashes is scheduled for 2 p.m. from Reynolds Coliseum and will be broadcast live on ACC Network Extra.

#GoPack | @PackWomensBball