NC State women’s basketball overpowers North Carolina at Reynolds Coliseum, 72-45
There is a saying, ‘take them behind the woodshed,’ which translates to punishing someone privately.
N.C. State women’s basketball team doesn’t have a woodshed, but they do have the Old Barn.
The No. 5 Wolfpack defended Reynolds Coliseum in impressive fashion, dominating rival North Carolina in a 72-45 win.
It was their third win over a ranked team this season, and perhaps the most impressive. The Tar Heels rolled into Raleigh ranked No. 19 in the AP poll. It was the first time since 2017 the rivals met and both teams were ranked.
It was lopsided from the start.
N.C. State (13-2, 4-0) was the aggressor, jumping out to a 10-0 lead as the Heels struggled to hit a basket. Carolina didn’t score until the 4:48 mark of the first quarter.
It didn’t matter. The Wolfpack was too good out the gate, leading 24-7 after the first quarter and up 17 at halftime.
In their first loss of the year, UNC (13-1, 3-1) connected on a season-low 15 field goals and shot 23 percent from the floor, also a season low. The Tar Heels came into the game leading the ACC in scoring (83 points), but it was clear from the start they weren’t going to get close.
If not for sophomore guard Deja Kelly (21 points), Carolina really would have been run out of Raleigh. The rest of the Heels shot 7-for-41 from the field.
But Kelly alone wasn’t enough firepower to counter N.C. State. Elissa Cunane led the way, dominating not only the paint, but the perimeter. When the Tar Heels left the 6’5 Cunane open behind the line, she made them pay, knocking down a three triples, tying a season-high.
She finished with 19 points and 13 rebounds, her third double-double of the season. She was 3-of-4 from three. Wes Moore got contributions from more than just Cunane. In the balanced scoring attack, 11 different players scored. Senior Kayla Jones, who missed the Clemson game, was back in the starting lineup and finished with 9 points, a perfect 4-4 from the floor. Jones had four in a row to start the second half, proving that N.C. State wouldn’t take its foot off the gas.
The Wolfpack shot 50 percent from the floor in the opening quarter. The team’s worst shooting quarter was the second (35 percent), but that didn’t even matter considering the Heels weren’t much better (33 percent).
UNC was off to a 3-0 start in ACC play for the first time 2012-13 season, but ran into a veteran N.C. State squad determined to defend its home turf.
It was the 27th win over a ranked opponent for a Wes Moore-led team. The Pack has now won its past 12 games against ACC opponents, dating back to the ACC tournament.
This story was originally published January 6, 2022 at 9:51 PM with the headline "NC State women’s basketball overpowers North Carolina at Reynolds Coliseum, 72-45."
