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ACC Tournament recap: games four, five

By Arielle Chambers

RALEIGH, NC - JANUARY 05: North Carolina State Wolfpack forward/center Nae Nae Cole (44), North Carolina State Wolfpack forward DD Rogers (21) and North Carolina State Wolfpack center Akela Maize (32) cheer on their teammates after a second half run during the game between the Miami Hurricanes and the North Carolina State Wolfpack on January 5, 2016 at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, NC. Miami defeated NC State 67-64. (Photo by William Howard/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
RALEIGH, NC - JANUARY 05: North Carolina State Wolfpack forward/center Nae Nae Cole (44), North Carolina State Wolfpack forward DD Rogers (21) and North Carolina State Wolfpack center Akela Maize (32) cheer on their teammates after a second half run during the game between the Miami Hurricanes and the North Carolina State Wolfpack on January 5, 2016 at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, NC. Miami defeated NC State 67-64. (Photo by William Howard/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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No. 5 NC State vs. No. 12 North Carolina

North Carolina State and the University of North Carolina’s 11 am tip launched day two of the ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament.  In a game of historic rivalry, the Wolfpack were able to beat their opponent in the paint, which ultimately resulted in a 77-64 victory over the Tarheels.

Though North Carolina had some key moments throughout the game, North Carolina State outscored them every quarter. UNC’s Paris Kea remained an offensive powerhouse, finishing with 27 points. But it simply was not enough to dismantle NC State-especially considering the Wolfpack’s down low dominance. NC State ended the game with a 36-18 advantage in points in the paint.

Post presence mattered. Akela Maize and Chelsea Nelson finished with 12 and 13 points, respectively.  The strong inside game helped collapse Carolina’s defense and as a result, allowed Aislinn Konig to produce great numbers on from range. Konig made five of her seven three-point attempts. NC State executed a successful inside-out game, which is exactly what they wanted.

In addition to the points produced, the Wolfpack’s veteran leadership helped win the game as well.  NC State and UNC are known for their athleticism and physicality and this was no different today.  The heightened physicality consequently led to a Janelle Bailey (UNC) technical foul which might have been a swing moment to secure the NC State win.

Senior captain Maize stressed the importance of being mentally in the game. “I’m a senior, so I know how much it means for me to be in the court. I just had to keep my composure and not get caught up in the things that were going on in the game,” she said, referring to the specific play that led to Bailey’s technical foul.

UNC Head Coach Sylvia Hatchell discussed how bright of a future her young players have ahead of them.  UNC only loses senior Jamie Cherry after the season, Coach Hatchell is “so looking forward to” the years ahead for her program.

NC State will advance to the next round and face Duke tomorrow at 11 am ET.  They will need to shut down the veteran back-court that is Lexie Brown and Rebecca Greenwell. In their last meeting, NC State fell to Duke 56-69 (Jan. 7).

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