NC State Women’s Basketball Dominates Third Quarter vs. Pittsburgh
PITTSBURGH, Pa.– The eighth-ranked NC State women’s basketball team (18-1, 7-1 ACC) used a 22-0 run at the start of the second half to cruise past the Pittsburgh Panthers (3-15, 0-7 ACC), winning by a final score of 88-44 inside the Petersen Events Center on Thursday evening.
After owning an eight-point lead at halftime, the Wolfpack rallied off 22 unanswered points to start the second half. Pittsburgh went 0-of-11 from the field before hitting its first shot of the third quarter with 2:15 remaining in the period. NC State’s 30-4 scoring advantage in the third quarter tied for both the most points the team has scored in a single quarter this season and the fewest points the team has allowed in a single quarter this season.
NC State’s 44-point win was its biggest victory margin of the 2019-20 campaign. In addition to its dominant third quarter, the Wolfpack also took command of multiple other statistical categories. The Pack outscored the Panthers in the paint 36-16 and posted 21 points off of 16 Pitt turnovers. Despite facing a deficit in the rebound battle at the half, NC State ended up out-rebounding Pittsburgh 47-33.
Twelve members of the Wolfpack squad saw action on the floor on Thursday night, and 10 of those players found the scoring column with five or more points apiece. NC State was led by Jakia Brown-Turner’s 13 points, and Elissa Cunane (12 points) and Jada Boyd (10 points) also scored in double figures.
After a fairly even first period, NC State put together nine unanswered points from the 6:44 mark of the second quarter until the 4:11 mark to build up a double-digit advantage. The squad forced the Panthers into three turnovers in that span and led by as many as 15 points (36-21) in the first half.
A scoreless drought by the Pack that spanned 3:33 near the end of the half brought Pitt back within eight (38-30) at the break, but the strong third quarter by NC State was enough to give it a comfortable lead for the remainder of the game. The Pack led by 33+ points for the entirety of the fourth quarter.
Pittsburgh’s Dayshanette Harris led all players on the floor with 16 points.
The Wolfpack is set to return home on Sunday, Jan. 26 for a rivalry matchup against the North Carolina Tar Heels. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. from a sold-out Reynolds Coliseum, and the game will be televised nationally on the ACC Network.
Press release provided by NC State Assistant Director of Athletics Communications Matti Smith
Image Courtesy of Lawrence Davis