Sunday, February 16
Raleigh, NC
2PM
NC State
22-3,11-3ACC
61
vs
65
Georgia Tech
17-9,8-7ACC
1
2
3
4
F
Georgia Tech
18
7
26
14
65
NC State
17
13
15
16
61
Pack’s Comeback Falls Short Against Georgia Tech
2/16/2020 4:52:00 PM | Women's Basketball
RALEIGH – After trailing by 12 points in the fourth quarter, the fourth-ranked NC State women's basketball team (22-3, 11-3 ACC) cut its deficit to two late in the game, but the visiting Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (17-9, 8-7 ACC) held on for the 65-61 win on Thursday evening inside Reynolds Coliseum.
The loss was the second in a row for the Wolfpack after also falling to Louisville on Thursday night. It marked the first time that the squad has dropped back-to-back games since it lost at home to North Carolina (Feb. 3, 2019) and on the road to No. 24 Florida State (Feb. 7, 2019). Additionally, NC State had not lost two home games in a row since it fell to No. 3 Louisville (Dec. 31, 2017) and Virginia (Jan. 4, 2018) at the start of 2017-18 conference play.
A back-and-forth first half that featured three ties and four lead changes sent NC State to the halftime break with a five-point lead (30-25). Georgia Tech responded with a strong third quarter during which it scored 26 points and shot 80 percent (12-of-15) from the floor.
NC State, meanwhile, got off just four shots in the first 8:15 of the second half and only knocked down one of those attempts. Kayla Jones scored seven unanswered points in the late stages of the third quarter to bring the Pack within six (51-45) headed into the fourth quarter.
The Yellow Jackets regained a double-digit lead at the 6:51 mark of the fourth quarter with a pair of back-to-back threes that put them up 59-47. The Pack would not go quietly, despite starting the fourth quarter 0-of-5 from the field. NC State went on a 12-2 run that spanned 4:16 of game action to draw within two points on two occasions, but Georgia Tech iced away with the game with free throws.
Georgia Tech's Francesca Pan led all players on the court with a career-high 30 points. Her 11-of-24 shooting performance included a 4-of-9 mark from long range. Nerea Hermosa (12 points, 6-of-6 shooting) joined her in double figures for the Yellow Jackets.
Wolfpack forward Jones tied her career high with 17 points, and sophomore center Elissa Cunane went 8-of-8 from the free-throw line on the way to posting 17 points of her own. Freshman Jada Boyd continued her strong play with 12 points, 10 of which she scored in the fourth quarter alone.
Postgame Notes
• NC State limited Georgia Tech to 3-of-11 (.273) shooting in the second quarter and held the Yellow Jackets to just two points (1-of-9 from the floor) in the final 7:37 of that period.
• Facing Georgia Tech's zone defense, NC State managed to score 32 points in the paint and 12 second chance points off of eight offensive rebounds.
• As a team, the Pack converted on 14 of 18 free throw attempts to keep itself in the game. The Yellow Jackets shot just 53.8 percent (7-of-13) from the charity stripe.
• The Wolfpack once again struggled from long range with a 3-of-13 (.231) clip. It was the third game in a row that the team has hit five or fewer three pointers.
NC State heads to Coral Gables, Fla., to take on Miami on Thursday evening. Tip-off from the Watsco Center is set for 8 p.m., and the contest will be televised nationally on the ACC Network.
#GoPack | @PackWomensBball
The loss was the second in a row for the Wolfpack after also falling to Louisville on Thursday night. It marked the first time that the squad has dropped back-to-back games since it lost at home to North Carolina (Feb. 3, 2019) and on the road to No. 24 Florida State (Feb. 7, 2019). Additionally, NC State had not lost two home games in a row since it fell to No. 3 Louisville (Dec. 31, 2017) and Virginia (Jan. 4, 2018) at the start of 2017-18 conference play.
A back-and-forth first half that featured three ties and four lead changes sent NC State to the halftime break with a five-point lead (30-25). Georgia Tech responded with a strong third quarter during which it scored 26 points and shot 80 percent (12-of-15) from the floor.
NC State, meanwhile, got off just four shots in the first 8:15 of the second half and only knocked down one of those attempts. Kayla Jones scored seven unanswered points in the late stages of the third quarter to bring the Pack within six (51-45) headed into the fourth quarter.
The Yellow Jackets regained a double-digit lead at the 6:51 mark of the fourth quarter with a pair of back-to-back threes that put them up 59-47. The Pack would not go quietly, despite starting the fourth quarter 0-of-5 from the field. NC State went on a 12-2 run that spanned 4:16 of game action to draw within two points on two occasions, but Georgia Tech iced away with the game with free throws.
Georgia Tech's Francesca Pan led all players on the court with a career-high 30 points. Her 11-of-24 shooting performance included a 4-of-9 mark from long range. Nerea Hermosa (12 points, 6-of-6 shooting) joined her in double figures for the Yellow Jackets.
Wolfpack forward Jones tied her career high with 17 points, and sophomore center Elissa Cunane went 8-of-8 from the free-throw line on the way to posting 17 points of her own. Freshman Jada Boyd continued her strong play with 12 points, 10 of which she scored in the fourth quarter alone.
Postgame Notes
• NC State limited Georgia Tech to 3-of-11 (.273) shooting in the second quarter and held the Yellow Jackets to just two points (1-of-9 from the floor) in the final 7:37 of that period.
• Facing Georgia Tech's zone defense, NC State managed to score 32 points in the paint and 12 second chance points off of eight offensive rebounds.
• As a team, the Pack converted on 14 of 18 free throw attempts to keep itself in the game. The Yellow Jackets shot just 53.8 percent (7-of-13) from the charity stripe.
• The Wolfpack once again struggled from long range with a 3-of-13 (.231) clip. It was the third game in a row that the team has hit five or fewer three pointers.
NC State heads to Coral Gables, Fla., to take on Miami on Thursday evening. Tip-off from the Watsco Center is set for 8 p.m., and the contest will be televised nationally on the ACC Network.
#GoPack | @PackWomensBball
Team Stats
GaTech
NCSU
FG%
.473
.449
3FG%
.353
.231
FT%
.538
.778
RB
30
30
TO
12
14
STL
6
6
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
17
FGM
7
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
17
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
8
Pts
7
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
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