REYNOLDS COLISEUM/RALEIGH N.C. State returns to action following its exam break, hoping to establish momentum before a very tough streak of upcoming games.
- Photo courtesy NCSU athletics
- State guard Marissa Kastanek
Today’s opponent is Presbyterian College (5-5), which gave the ACC an early shock with a 49-46 season-opening win against Clemson.
The Blue Hose are already very familiar with Triangle-area opposition this season, having lost 84-45 at Duke on Nov. 17 in the undefeated Blue Devils’ opener and won 49-37 over winless N.C. Central seven days later.
State (6-4) won the teams’ only previous meeting 74-27 two years ago.
And some things never change, as the Wolfpack rolls to a 76-30 rout.
It’s over at halftime with the Wolfpack leading 45-13.
State shoots 50 percent before the break to PC’s 25, leads the rebound battle 26-11 and commits just four turnovers to the Hose’s 14.
The Wolfpack’s biggest lead is 50, on a jumper from Breezy Williams to make it 72-22 with 4:31 to go.
Kody Burke leads the Wolfpack with 13 points, followed by Marissa Kastanek with 12 and Myisha Goodwin-Coleman 10.
Dria David has seven points to lead Presbyterian.
The Wolfpack shoots 47.1 percent to 27.9 for the visitors, pulls down 50 rebounds to Presbyterian’s 21 and commits 10 turnovers to the losers’ 20.
They said it …
State coach Kellie Harper: “I’m really pleased with our play and with some of our points of emphasis for the week, and I’m pleased that our players had points of energy from the tip to the end. I thought that was 40 minutes of pretty good intensity. All coaches can nit-pick and find things they need to work on, so we’ll do that. But overall, I’m really pleased with how we played today.”
Kastanek: “(After exams) our focus changes completely. We don’t do anything but play basketball, eat and sleep and watch TV. It is like the best atmosphere. It makes you want to be a professional basketball player because all you do is eat, sleep and play basketball. It’s the best feeling in the world.”
Goodwin-Coleman: “Our intensity started in practice. They say you practice like you play and we’ve been having some real high-intensity, high-energy practices.”
What does it all mean?
That the Wolfpack is very good against Presbyterian.
Stars of the game
1. Kastanek.
2. Goodwin-Coleman.
3. Burke.
Play of the game
Markeisha Gatling’s follow tip-in for the first basket at 19:43.
Streaks
State: Won 2.
PC: Lost 1.
Series
State leads 2-0.
Up next
PC at Central Florida, Monday, 7 p.m.
State at Miami, Thursday, 7:05 p.m.
