NC State
22-3,13-1ACC
Boston College
15-9,6-7ACC
#5 NC State Wins Overtime Thriller with Boston College, 85-78
2/10/2022 8:37:00 PM | Women's Basketball
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – No. 5 NC State women's basketball (22-3, 13-1 ACC) clinched an overtime victory at Boston College (15-9, 6-7 ACC) on Thursday night, outlasting the Eagles in an 85-78 decision inside the Conte Forum.
In a game that featured 15 lead changes and eight ties, the Wolfpack outscored Boston College 15-8 in overtime and limited the Eagles to just two makes from the field on its way to securing the victory. The game was NC State's 11th time going to overtime in the Wes Moore era, and the team improved to 7-4 in those games.
Five Wolfpack players scored in double figures in the contest, which tied as the most in a game this season for a balanced NC State squad. Diamond Johnson tallied her second 20+ point game of the year with 22, Kayla Jones added 17 and Raina Perez (13), Elissa Cunane (12) and Kai Crutchfield (12) pitched in with their efforts.
Jones posted her second double-double of the year and 10th of her career with a team-leading 11 rebounds.
NC State took advantage of 19 points off of Boston College's turnovers and a handful of extra offensive possessions generated from its 20 offensive boards. Jones had nine of those offensive rebounds herself.
The Wolfpack also did a great job of moving the ball, assisting on half of its 32 made field goals. Six players dished out multiple assists, with Jones, Perez, Johnson and Jakia Brown-Turner distributing three each.
NC State faced a 14-point deficit (32-18) in the second quarter but battled its way back to cut Boston College's lead to just three (35-32) at the half. The Wolfpack outscored the Eagles 14-3 in the final six minutes of the second quarter, including posting eight unanswered to close out the first half. NC State overcame a hot shooting start by the Eagles to make some key defensive stops and force them into four turnovers in that same span of time.
After a back-and-forth third quarter, the Wolfpack trailed by one (51-50). NC State took advantage of a 9-0 run in the early stages of the period to take its first lead of the game at the 6:22 mark of the third quarter, but neither team separated themselves as they headed into the fourth.
It was the same story in the final quarter of regulation. Neither team led by more than three points in the fourth quarter. Cunane split free throws on a late trip to the line to put the Pack's lead at two with 11 seconds remaining, but Boston College's Ally VanTimmeren tied the game with a second left to send it to overtime.
In overtime, NC State scored nine unanswered points in a two and a half minute span. A huge and-one by Crutchfield with 1:20 remaining extended the Pack's lead to two possessions (79-74), and the Eagles never got closer.
NC State stays close to home on Sunday, Feb. 13 for its second of two regular-season meetings with Duke. Tip-off between the Wolfpack and the Blue Devils is set for 2 p.m. from Cameron Indoor Stadium, and the game will be televised on the ACC's Regional Sports Networks.
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