No. 5 NC State hung with No. 1 South Carolina, but fell short. Here’s what we learned
In the preseason N.C. State head coach Wes Moore talked about getting in the “neighborhood” of teams like South Carolina.
That neighborhood Moore was referring to was multiple Final Four trips and national recognition each year. The Gamecocks came to the Wolfpack neighborhood and made themselves right at home.
South Carolina, ranked No. 1 in the nation, and a Final Four team a year ago, knocked off No. 5 N.C. State 66-57 in Reynolds Coliseum.
The Wolfpack, ranked No. 5, to start the year, are hunting to make it beyond the Sweet 16, where their season has ended three of the last four years. If they make it that far and hope to advance, they’ll see teams like South Carolina. After facing the Gamecocks, N.C. State has more questions than answers.
The Wolfpack trailed the entire game. They pulled to within one three times in the third quarter, but South Carolina ended the period scoring on seven of their eight possessions. The Gamecocks were even hotter once the fourth started, ballooning their eight point lead after three, to 14 by the time Aliyah Boston, South Carolina’s All-American center, scored just her second field goal.
Boston didn’t need to have a big day because her supporting cast around her did. N.C. State didn’t get the same team effort.
In the first half South Carolina got contributions from all over the place, with six different players scoring. The problem for N.C. State was that for the first quarter, players not named Raina Perez had a hard time getting the ball in the basket.
At the end of the first quarter Perez was a perfect 4-for-4 from the floor with 9 points, while her teammates were a combined 1-9. Kayla Jones got on the board in the second quarter with a jumper, but the Wolfpack went into the locker room down 25-19 at the half, only getting baskets from Perez, Jakia Brown-Turner and Jones.
Elissa Cunane, N.C. State’s All-ACC and All-American post player had a rough night at the office, the last thing the Pack could afford versus the bigger Gamecocks’ lineup. Cunane, who averaged 16.3 points last season, didn’t score until the 6:37 mark of the third quarter. She spent most of the evening battling for position with Boston (6-5) in the paint. Even when Boston took a break, South Carolina countered with 6-7 Kamillo Cardoso, a transfer from Syracuse.
While Boston and Cardoso made life difficult for Cunane, the South Carolina backcourt duo of Destanni Henderson and Zia Cooke took control of the contest right from the start and never let up, combining for 31 points.
After Jones hit two free throws to cut the lead to single digits, Henderson hit two free throws to push the lead back to 10 with 1:18 remaining.
N.C. State saw a streak of 19 consecutive season-opening wins come to an end. The Wolfpack defeated two No. 1 teams, including South Carolina, a year ago. The team had won 40 straight non-conference games at home before Tuesday. South Carolina, who finished with 14 turnovers, didn’t have a single one in the fourth.
Here’s what we learned
Post depth
Cunane picked up her first foul early in the first quarter and immediately headed to the bench. Camille Hobby came in, but N.C. State wasn’t getting much from either big during the game. It raises the question if Cunane or Hobby get in foul trouble, or aren’t producing, who does Wes Moore turn to for paint touches? Cunane, who scored in single digits just once a year ago finished with eight points.
Big game Perez
Perez, who hit the game-winning shot in the ACC Tournament title game a year ago, continued to show that she’s all about the big stage. She started the game on fire, and finished with 18 points.
Slow starts still a thing
Remember how N.C. State had a flare for the dramatics last season? The semi finals and finals of the ACC Tournament ring a bell? The Wolfpack made a habit of getting off to slow starts, but found a way to work its way back into those games. They started the 2021-22 season the same way, falling behind by double-digits to South Carolina in the first half.
JBT ready for bigger role?
With Jada Boyd out and Kayla Jones still recovering for surgery, junior wing Jakia Brown-Turner took a step in the right direction versus South Carolina. Brown-Turner, who started every game a year ago, has been recognized on several preseason lists, and proved she’s worthy of all the accolades. After averaging close to 16 points a year ago, Brown-Turner scored 18 in the opener, becoming aggressive on the offensive end of the floor in the second half.
The new girls
Transfers Diamond Johnson and Madison Hayes arrived in the off season from Rutgers and Mississippi State, respectively. The duo were expected to add scoring options to the offense for N.C. State, especially early on with Boyd out. Johnson started the game while Hayes came off the bench. The duo combined for four points on 3-of-13 shooting.
This story was originally published November 9, 2021 at 7:05 PM.
