Still dancing! NC State head back to Sweet 16 with win over South Florida
There’s something about the third quarter for N.C. State.
For the second straight NCAA tournament game the Wolfpack struggled in the first half, but found its mojo after halftime. On Tuesday, N.C. State was down at the half against South Florida, but dominated the third, pulling away for a 79-67 win.
With the victory, the Pack moves on to the Sweet 16 for the third time under head coach Wes Moore. N.C. State (22-2) outscored the Bulls 24-11 in the third quarter after trailing by one, 36-35, at the break.
Going back to its NCAA tournament opening-round win over North Carolina A&T, the Wolfpack has outscored its opponent 34-18 in the third quarter.
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“It’s definitely the halftime speech from Coach (Wes) Moore,” Jakia Brown-Turner said about the turnaround for the team. “I always tell my teammates the first three minutes of the third quarter are the most important; get out, get some stops, so defense created offense for us. That’s how we were able to get up.”
South Florida (19-4) shot 42% from three in the first half but was 1-7 from behind the lie in the third quarter. While the Bulls slowed down, the Pack played well, using a 10-0 run midway through the third to put the game away.
N.C. State’s defense held South Florida to one field goal in the first three minutes and just four made shots from the floor in the third quarter.
“We seemed to play better defense when we’re knocking down shots,” Moore said. “I hate it’s that way, but that’s the way it usually rolls. We have to defend and rebound if we want to stick around.”
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The Wolfpack shines in third quarter
Offensively, the Pack found some help for Brown-Turner, the 6-0 sophomore wing who had been a one-person show up to that point. Brown-Turner had 13 points at the half, but Elissa Cunane, Kai Crutchfield and Raina Perez had just nine combined points.
The trio contributed 14 points in the third quarter, when it seems N.C. State plays its best basketball. The Wolfpack shot 50% from the floor in the third taking a one-point lead on a three-point play from 6-5 junior Cunane and never looked back.
The All-American center finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds, while Brown-Turner had 19 points and Jada Boyd finished with her fifth double-double (18 points, 10 rebounds) of the season. Boyd started in place of senior Kayla Jones, who missed the game with a knee injury she suffered in the opener against the Aggies.
It was the fourth start of the season for Boyd and her 11th game in double figures and second in a row.
“Jada is just so explosive and athletic,” Moore said. “She creates matchup problems for people. We’re very blessed and fortunate to have Jada Boyd. I’ve said it all year long that we’ve got six starters. With Kayla Jones out, Jada Boyd steps right in.”
The team’s depth
Crutchfield finished with 11 points, hitting on three three-pointers (3-3). N.C. State is 4-0 in its last four NCAA tournament games when Crutchfield hits at least three from behind the line. With Jones, a player who does a little bit of everything, out of the lineup, Crutchfield adopted that role and added six assists.
“She did a lot of things well for us,” Moore said. “At a good time of the year.”
Perez finished with 12 points to give the Wolfpack five players in double figures. It was the 16th game for State with five players in double figures. Cunane was 3-15 from the floor, but the team showed its depth as the supporting cast contributed heavily.
“I just know that everyone on our team is good in every way,” Brown-Turner said. “That’s what makes us great, we don’t just have one player, we have multiple who can come in and do what they do.”
The Pack will play in the Sweet 16 for the third consecutive season and will play the winner of Belmont and Indiana on Saturday. It will be the 14th appearance in the Sweet 16 for N.C. State.
This story was originally published March 23, 2021 at 2:45 PM.
