The 10th-ranked NC State women's basketball team (24-4, 11-4 ACC) endured a 92-62 defeat at third-ranked Louisville (26-2, 13-2 ACC) Thursday evening inside the KFC Yum! Center.
Louisville's Asia Durr led all players by tying her career high with 47 points on 17-of-27 shooting. She set a new Atlantic Coast Conference record in made three-point field goals by shooting 11-of-17 from beyond the arc.
Elissa Cunane led the Wolfpack with 17 points and 10 rebounds for her second career double-double.
Kiara Leslie (15 points) and
Kayla Jones (15 points new career high) joined her in double figures.
Despite the loss, scores around the league result in NC State earning a top-four seed and a double bye to the quarterfinal round of the ACC Tournament on March 8.
"Not much to say. They played great and we didn't," NC State head coach
Wes Moore said in his postgame press conference. "They came out with a lot of energy and urgency and took it to us. I knew they would be ready to play tonight, and they were. You've got to tip your hat (to them). Asia Durr is a great player and Coach (Jeff) Walz had them ready to play."
"We just dug a big hole. In the last three quarters, we were outscored by seven points, but when you get outscored by 23 in the first quarter, it's not going to be a very good night, especially on the road against a team like this."
NC State led 4-3 early on two Cunane field goals in the paint, but a 24-2 Louisville run over the next 5:12 put the Wolfpack into a trailing position from which it would not recover. NC State would pull within 16 points on two occasions in the second quarter, but would come no closer the rest of the way.
Postgame Notes-Louisville extends its series lead to 6-3 and has won four straight over the Wolfpack.
-Louisville's 36-point first quarter marked the most points allowed in a single quarter by the Wolfpack all season.
-Cunane's double-double was the second of her career.
-In her last three games, Jones (career average: 3.1 ppg.) has scored 14, 14, and 15 points for NC State.
-NC State out-rebounded Louisville 36-35.
NC State concludes the 2018-19 regular season at home on Sunday, March 3 vs. No. 15 Miami. Tip-off from Kay Yow Court inside Valvano Arena at Reynolds Coliseum is scheduled for 2:30 pm. The game will be televised by Raycom.
https://gopack.com/news/2019/2/28/womens-basketball-10-nc-state-drops-road-contest-at-3-louisville.aspx