Kai Crutchfield comes up clutch for NC State women’s basketball in win over rival UNC
Long after Carmichael Arena cleared out following N.C. State’s 66-58 win over UNC, Deja Kelly remained on the court.
Still in full uniform, the Tar Heels’ leading scorer put up shots. For the first time this season, Kelly, the third-leading scorer in the ACC (16.7 ppg), was held scoreless.
On a bus heading back to Raleigh was Kai Crutchfield, the N.C. State senior who played a major part in that.
Crutchfield led the Wolfpack (19-2, 10-0) in scoring with 16 points. She turned back to CLUTCHfield in the fourth quarter, scoring six points in the final frame. It was just the third time this season the Raleigh native scored in double figures. Crutchfield is an important part of the N.C. State lineup, but it’s mostly for her efforts on the defensive end of the floor.
That was part of the reason Kelly went 0-for-11 in the game.
“I thought Kai did a great job, the whole team,” Moore said. “We tried to give her some help with picks on the ball situations. Part of it, too, is sometimes you have a day like that when it doesn’t go down for you. Most of the time she’s going to hit those shots. Part of it was Kai’s defense, part of it was being helped with picks on the ball.”
The shots Kelly couldn’t get to fall were falling at just the right time for Crutchfield. Coming into the game averaging 5.7 points per game, Crutchfield is the most experienced player on the team. She’s played in 137 games, with 95 starts.
Her best games, offensively, this season were a 17-point outing against Florida and a 10-point game against Georgia. With scorers like Elissa Cunane, Raina Perez and Diamond Johnson on the roster, Crutchfield is rarely asked to carry the load offensively. When clutch time arrives, though, she’s always ready.
This is the same player who hit a buzzer-beating shot to win the 4A state title her senior year at Millbrook. Last season in the ACC tournament title game, she hit a corner 3 to spark an N.C. State comeback in a win over Louisville.
Against UNC, Crutchfield swatted one Tar Heels’ comeback after another with timely shots. In the fourth quarter, UNC cut the lead to four early in the fourth. Cue Crutchfield, a 44.7% 3-point shooter, who knocked one down to push the lead back to seven.
With 1:12 remaining in the game, the Tar Heels got to within five after a pair of free throws from Carlie Littlefield. On the other end, Crutchfield’s 3 was the final dagger, and basket, of the day.
“I thought that was the difference in the ball game, her knocking those shots down,” Moore said. “Every time it was getting to a little dangerous gap, she hit the big shot to give us a little breathing room.”
It was the first time this season Crutchfield led the team in scoring. She led the team in assists (three times) and steals (once), proving how she can affect the game without scoring. But when her number was called on the offensive end, the veteran was ready.
“Just knowing that I’ve hit those shots a thousand times in my lifetime,” Crutchfield said about stepping up. “Also my teammates having the confidence in me as well.”
In the previous battle between the two teams, Kelly was the lone bright spot for UNC, finishing with 21 points. Crutchfield finished with six points in that blowout win on Jan. 6. The key to switching roles this time was a group effort.
“She’s a great player, I’ll start by saying that,” Crutchfield said. “But also trusting in my teammates, knowing that my teammates are right behind me and ready to help. It was a tough challenge.”
Moving forward, on days when the big three — Cunane, Perez, Johnson — don’t have it going, Moore can count on his captain to save the team in the clutch.
“Kai’s always shot a high percentage, it’s just a lot of times she’s drawing the defensive assignment on the other team’s best scorer on the perimeter. That takes something out of her, I’m sure,” Moore said. “She’s just unselfish, she shares the ball, makes the extra pass, but when you need it, which we did today, she came up big.”
This story was originally published January 31, 2022 at 5:50 AM.
