NC State women’s basketball pulls away from Florida State for 84-54 ACC tournament win
How deep and talented is the N.C. State women’s basketball team?
Just ask Florida State.
The Seminoles got the Wolfpack’s full wrath during the teams’ ACC Tournament quarterfinal Friday as N.C. State (27-3) advanced to the semifinals, where it will face Virginia Tech, after an 84-54 win over Florida State.
The Noles (16-13) were probably left with their heads spinning after they tried to stop the balanced N.C. State offensive attack.
“That was a good old-fashioned butt kicking,” FSU coach Sue Semrau said after the game. “Wow, credit NC State. They’re so balanced. They are so mature, so talented.”
In the first half, All-ACC center Elissa Cunane led the way, scoring 15 points. Cunane only took one shot in the third quarter, though the Wolfpack lead ballooned to 23 anyway.
That’s because once Cunane stopped scoring, Jakia Brown-Turner picked it up. Brown-Turner scored nine of her 15 in the third quarter. While Florida State was still trying to figure out how to slow down Brown-Turner, senior Kai Crutchfield found a groove, knocking down a pair of 3s.
“Yeah, Jakia didn’t do a whole lot when we were up there, and then when you stop Cunane even, there’s so many different weapons that they have,” Semrau said. “Really you can’t pick and choose. You have to do a great job all the way around, and we were not up for the task today.”
Then Kayla Jones got in on the act, scoring five in the frame. Brown-Turner has now scored in double figures in 10 of the past 13 games after a mid-season slump.
“She slowed down, okay. Again, when you’re one of the better players in the league, people are going to focus on you,” Moore said. “They know she’s a great shooter. They were doing a great job of getting to her and she sometimes was getting a little out of control, rushing things. She slowed down, the game slowed down. She’s playing really well right now.”
To start the fourth, Wes Moore brought freshman Aziaha James into the game for the first time. All she did was score an old-fashioned three-point play the first time she touched the ball. The next trip down the floor, the All-ACC rookie team selection knocked down a 3, a quick six points in two minutes. She finished with nine points in 10 minutes
In all, 10 players scored for the Wolfpack, which moves onto the semifinals of the tournament for the fifth straight season.
“Yeah, we’ve had some great teams, been very blessed, but this is definitely the deepest team we’ve had,” Moore said. “A lot of people that can come in.”
N.C. State, winners of the previous two ACC Tournaments, looked fresh and wore down Florida State right from the start.
Cunane, from nearby Summerfield, got it started with nine points in the opening quarter. She only logged eight minutes in the second half, none in the fourth. Cunane finished the game with 15, giving her nine straight ACC tournament games in double figures.
“It’s also tournament time. Everyone wants to play better for tournament time,” Cunane said. “The next game is not guaranteed. Doesn’t matter what seed you are. So we’ve just got to come out here and play every game like it’s our last.”
Brown-Turner, Jada Boyd (12) and company did the heavy lifting the rest of the way. N.C. State outscored FSU 48-31 in the second half. Moore got 32 points from his bench, while his starters spent most of the fourth quarter watching and resting.
What’s next?
The Wolfpack and Hokies will tip off at noon on Saturday. Virginia Tech is coming off an 87-80 overtime win over North Carolina.
N.C. State swept the Hokies in the regular season, including a 68-66 win in Blacksburg on February 27 to clinch the outright regular-season championship.
Both wins over Virginia Tech were by single-digit margins. The Pack won by six in Raleigh on January 23. N.C. State went 17-1 during the regular season in conference play. Its toughest wins were against Virginia Tech and Louisville, two teams still alive in the tournament.
The Hokies will more than likely be without ACC Player of the Year Elizabeth Kitley, who injured her arm in the win over the Tar Heels.
“You know, we’ve got to prepare as if she’s playing,” Moore said. “Obviously today was a great win for them considering they had King out and then had Kitley go out, as well. It was really amazing what they did today. That’s what I told our team; they won today without Kitley. So you can’t take anything for granted.”
N.C. State and Virginia Tech played on Feb. 27. Moore won’t change a lot in his preparation even though the Hokies’ game plan changed without Kitley.
“They’re not going to change who they are or what they do,” Moore said. “I realize they’ll have somebody else on the block if she doesn’t play, but I don’t think they’re going to just scrap what they do.”
This story was originally published March 4, 2022 at 4:02 PM.
