No. 4 N.C. State tough on defense, tops Virginia Tech 51-45
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Limiting Virginia Tech to 29.3% shooting from the floor, No. 4 North Carolina State won its eighth straight game Sunday, topping the Hokies 51-45.
N.C. State (18-2, 9-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) was powered by Jakia Brown-Turner, who scored 10 of her 14 points in the first quarter. Brown-Turner’s other two buckets were timely, coming with less than 90 seconds to play to increase the Wolfpack’s lead back to two possessions following an 11-2 run from Virginia Tech.
Brown-Turner also had seven rebounds and three steals.
Georgia Amoore had 13 points, six rebounds and four assists for the Hokies (14-5, 6-2), and Elizabeth Kitley added eight points and eight boards.
After trailing by six points, N.C. State went on a 14-2 run to end the second quarter, taking a 26-20 lead into halftime. Diamond Johnson scored all of her seven points during that span. The Wolfpack then used a 12-3 third quarter stretch to push their lead to 15 points.
The Hokies were physical in defending All-American center Elissa Cunane, holding her scoreless in the first half. Cunane finished with seven points on 2 of 16 shooting, along with a team-high 10 rebounds.
BIG PICTURE
N.C. State: The Wolfpack are 9-0 in ACC play for the first time in coach Wes Moore’s nine-year tenure. N.C. State won Sunday by playing tough defense and by being efficient with extra scoring chances. The Wolfpack registered 16 second-chance points off of 14 offensive rebounds, and turned 13 Virginia Tech turnovers into 16 points.
Virginia Tech: There’s something about N.C. State’s Reynolds Coliseum that rubs the Hokies the wrong way. They’re now 0-12 there, and this loss snapped a three-game winning streak. The Hokies’ shooting woes doomed them in this game, as they put up their second-worst scoring total and field goal percentage of the season.
UP NEXT
N.C. State: At No. 20 North Carolina next Sunday.
Virginia Tech: At rival Virginia on Thursday.
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