Kastanek leads Pack women to victory

RALEIGH -- Freshman Marissa Kastanek scored a game-high 19 points to send N.C. State to a 70-57 ACC women's basketball victory over Virginia Tech on Sunday at Reynolds Coliseum.

N.C. State (13-10, 3-5 ACC) also got 15 points from Amber White and 12 from Bonae Holston.

Lindsay Biggs had 21 points for Virginia Tech (12-11, 2-7).

Utahya Drye had 12 points and eight rebounds for the Hokies and joined Kerri Gardin (2002-06) as the only Virginia Tech women's players to have 1,000 points, 600 rebounds and 200 assists.

White and Holston combined for nine points as N.C. State scored nine of the first 11 points of the second half to build a 42-25 lead.

The lead stayed in double digits the rest of the way.

Virginia Tech pulled to within 11 points midway through the half, but Kastanek was left wide open in the corner for 3-pointer, and White added two free throws as the Wolfpack surged back to a 16-point lead at 57-41.

The lead grew to 19 points late in the game.

The Pack is 11-0 all-time against the Hokies, who committed 25 turnovers.

N.C. State, which shot a season-best 91.7 percent on free throws, visits Duke at 7 p.m. Thursday.

Down 14-4 early in the first half, the Pack surged back, outscoring Virginia Tech 29-9 over the final 13:36 to lead 33-23 at halftime.

The Hokies connected from 3-point range three times in the early going to gain the 10-point cushion.

But the Pack stormed back with 12 straight points to take its first lead, 16-14, on a made basket and free throw by Nikitta Gartrell midway through the half.

Gartrell scored five straight points during the run, and White took over late in the half by repeatedly driving to the hoop and either converting or getting to the free-throw line.

Kastanek helped, too, hitting two of three attempts from 3-point range on the way to 10 first-half points.

Biggs had 10 first-half points to lead Virginia Tech, including a 3-point heave from mid court just before halftime.

N.C. State 70, Virginia Tech 57

Virginia Tech (12-11): Drye 5-10 1-3 12, Biggs 9-17 0-0 21, Gordon 2-4 4-5 8, Grey 3-9 0-0 7, Harrison 0-4 2-2 2., Redick 0-3 0-0 0, Wilson 0-2 2-2 2, Davis 0-3 0-0 0, Fenyn 1-1 1-2 3, Hadley 0-0 2-2 2, Logan 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-53 12-16 57.

N.C. State (13-10): White 4-7 6-7 15, Gartrell 1-11 3-3 5, Holston 5-8 2-2 12, Kastanek 6-15 4-4 19, Ellison 0-4 2-2 2, Durham 0-1 0-0 0, Tasler 1-5 3-4 5, Strachan 3-4 0-0 6, Beal 2-4 2-2 6. Totals 22-59 22-24 70.

Halftime-N.C. State 33-23. Three-point Goals-Virginia Tech 5-20 (Biggs 3-10), N.C. State 4-14 (Kastanek 4-4). Rebounds-Virginia Tech 36 (Drye 8), N.C. State 38 (Holston 8). Assists-Virginia Tech 9 (Davis 3), N.C. State 11 (White 3). Total fouls-Virginia Tech 21, N.C. State 15. Att.-1,707.