NC State
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#4/4 Mississippi State (Sweet 16)
Wolfpack Falls in Sweet 16 to Top-Seeded Bulldogs
3/23/2018 11:52:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Kiara Leslie scores career-high 27 points in defeat
March 23, 2018
NC State Press Conference Quotes
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The NC State women's basketball team (26-9) saw its strong season come to an end as it fell 71-57 to No. 1 seed Mississippi State (35-1) in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament Friday evening inside the Sprint Center.
NC State was led by a stellar night from Kiara Leslie in which she scored a career-high 27 points on 8-13 shooting from the field and a 9-10 success rate from the free throw line.
Mississippi State was led by 24 points from Teaira McCowan, who shot a perfect 11-11 from the field. She was joined in double figures by Victoria Vivians (14), Morgan William (13), and Roshunda Johnson (12). The Bulldogs thrived in the paint, scoring 44 points close to the basket.
Postgame Notes
-NC State finished the season with 26 wins, the most victories in a single season since the 1990-91 campaign when it went 27-6 and reached the NCAA East Regional.
-Aislinn Konig set a new program record for made three pointers in a single season as she knocked down her 91st triple of the season during the first quarter of Friday's game. It marked the 33rd game in a row that the Wolfpack sophomore has tallied at least one long-range shot.
-The Wolfpack edged the Bulldogs in rebounding, holding a 30-28 advantage in the category. NC State won the rebounding contest in 29 of its 35 games this season.
-Friday's game was the final in a Wolfpack uniform for NC State's senior class of Akela Maize (461 career points, 293 rebounds, 93 blocks, and 88 games played) and Chelsea Nelson (1173 career points, 794 rebounds, and 128 games played).
-Nelson ends her career ranked tied for ninth in games played (128), 11th in free throws made (308), and 11th in rebounds collected (794).
The Bulldogs started hot, knocking down five of their first six shots while the Wolfpack went just 2-8 from the field in that same span. Mississippi State held an eight-point lead (15-7) at the first media timeout of the game (4:59, 1Q) and went up by 10 (17-7) shortly after that break.
NC State answered with a 6-0 run, holding Mississippi State scoreless for 3:54 late in the first quarter to pull within four (19-15) at the end of the opening period.
Leslie gave NC State its only lead of the day at the eight-minute mark of the second quarter, knocking down a three to put the Pack up 20-19. The Bulldogs fired off three quick baskets to regain a lead that the team would not relinquish.
Mississippi State reopened a 10-point lead (34-24) to match its largest advantage of the day with 2:11 remaining in the first half, but NC State ended the final 1:37 of the half with a 7-2 run. The Pack trailed by just five (36-31) at the half.
In the third quarter, Mississippi State went 8-13 (.615) from the field on the way to establishing a 17-point lead (58-41) headed into the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs held the Pack scoreless for 3:57 of the third quarter as NC State shot just 4-14 (.286) during the period.
NC State outscored Mississippi State 16-13 in the fourth quarter, but the Bulldogs had built up enough of a lead to earn the 71-57 victory.
#GoPack | @PackWomensBball
