The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1306549
2020-2021 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PREVIEW By The Numbers 1 Player in program history has ever been named to one of the three Associated Press (AP) All- America Teams — center Elissa Cunane, who was named to the third team last season. The Pack had previously totaled six All-America honorable men- tions from the outlet. 3 Years in a row the Pack has posted 25 or more wins, including 28 victories each of the last two winters, which are tied for the second most ever in the program's 46 years. NC State has had just nine other campaigns with at least 25 victories (including Moore's debut) and only one other such streak, which came in the three seasons from 1977-80 under Kay Yow. 11 Wins against teams ranked in the AP top 15 have been recorded in Moore's seven sea- sons with the Wolfpack. Seven of the triumphs came against top-10 opponents, including two on the road. 100 Percent of the 23 players that stayed their four years of eligibility under Moore have graduated from NC State with at least a bach- elor's degree. 5. NC State 70, No. 6 Florida State 61 (Jan. 2, 2017) Just four days following the Wolfpack's stunning upset over No. 2 Notre Dame (No. 3 on this count- down), NC State traveled to Tallahassee to knock off a second top-10 opponent. The Pack outscored the Seminoles 24-12 in the final 10 minutes of the contest to start the ACC schedule 2-0 against two of the toughest conference foes that season. Fifth-year senior guard Dominique Wilson scored a team-high 19 points, while junior forward Chelsea Nelson had a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds. "I couldn't be prouder of this team," head coach Wes Moore said after the game. "Florida State has got to be one of the top three or four teams in the country. Watching film on them, it is apparent how talented they are and how great their coach is." 4. No. 10 NC State 72, No. 17 Kentucky 57 (March 25, 2019 in the NCAA Tournament's second round) NC State was the No. 3 seed in the Greensboro Region, and its 15-point win over the No. 6 seed Ken- tucky Wildcats marked the first back-to-back Sweet Sixteen appearances since the Yow-coached Wolf- pack did it in 1990 and 1991. Three of the Pack's starters finished the game with double-doubles. Fifth-year senior Kiara Leslie led the team with 26 points and posted 10 rebounds, while freshman center Elissa Cunane paced the Pack with 15 boards plus scored 13 points, and senior forward DD Rogers added 11 points with 11 rebounds. 3. NC State 70, No. 2 Notre Dame 62 (Dec. 29, 2016) Prior to the upset in Reynolds Coliseum, Notre Dame had won 35 consecutive conference games and was 47-1 against ACC opponents since joining the league in 2013. The Fighting Irish had appeared in consecutive na - tional title games the two seasons prior and entered the contest with a 12-1 record, the lone loss against eventual national champion Connecticut. Wilson led the team in scoring with 18 points, while senior forward Jennifer Mathurin produced a double- double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Senior guard Miah Spencer added 17 points, seven rebounds and led the team with six assists. The veteran trio made a combined 8 of 13 three-pointers en route to Moore's first win over a top-five foe as the NC State head coach. 2. No. 21 NC State, 74 No. 16 Maryland 60 (March 18, 2018 in the NCAA Tournament's second round) The Wolfpack was the No. 4 seed in the Kansas City Region of the NCAA Tournament, and its 14-point win over No. 5 seed Maryland sent the Pack to its first Sweet Sixteen appearance since 2007 in the Kay Yow era. Leslie led NC State in scoring and rebounding with 21 points and 11 boards, while all five Wolfpack start - ers scored in double figures. 1. No. 10 NC State 71, No. 22 Florida State 66 (March 8, 2020 in the ACC Tournament Championship Game) In the final game of the Wolfpack's 2019-20 season before the NCAA Tournament was called off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, NC State won its first ACC championship since 1991. The conference tourna- ment title was the fifth in school history and the first won by a coach other than Yow. The Pack finished the game in Greensboro Coli- seum on a 13-3 run which included a clutch transi- tion three from senior guard Aislinn Konig to tie the game with 2:28 remaining. Konig was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player and tied Cunane — who joined Konig on the All-Tournament Team — for the team high with 18 points. Freshman forward Jakia Brown-Turner added a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds. Wes Moore's Seven Seasons Compared To The Seven Years Prior Category 2013-20 2006-13 Overall Record 168-62 (.730) 129-103 (.556) ACC Record 77-37 (.675) 44-50 (.468) Home Record 97-19 (.836) 80-33 (.708) NCAA Berths 4 2 Top-25 Finishes 5 1 20-Win Seasons 6 3 Top Five NC State Wins In The Wes Moore Era The Wolfpack went 28-4 last year, won the conference title and a school-record 14 ACC games, and finished the season ranked eighth by the Associated Press, the program's best final AP ranking since 1990-91 (No. 7). PHOTO BY CHRIS BAIRD NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 ■ 37