PC: Elissa Cunane, Raina Perez Discuss Louisville Win

In NC State women’s basketball’s 74-60 win over No. 1 Louisville Monday night, several players had big performances. Chief among them were Elissa Cunane and Raina Perez, who combined for 31 points. 

Both players spoke to the media following the win, here’s a full breakdown of everything they had to say:

Elissa Cunane

How does it feel to beat a No. 1 team for the second time this season? 

It feels so good. We were ready for this moment. We knew going on the road to play the No. 1 team was going to be hard, but we knew that we did it before. We just prepared. We knew we had to have energy and go into it like we are doing. 

How did you feel physically in your first game in nearly a month?

The first half I came out and I was feeling it a little bit, but as soon as the game got going I was good. In the second quarter, I had my energy up, and I was just ready. It was good for the rest of the game. The first quarter hit me a little bit, but now we’re good. 

Did playing Louisville give NC State a little extra motivation? 

Yeah, I mean we’re always kind of rivals with Louisville because we are always at the top of the ACC competing against them. We want to be the best, so we had to come out there and beat them in order to be the best. 

How good has Raina Perez been for you guys? 

Raina, she’s been doing amazing. Those couple of 3s that she hit in the first quarter were clutch. They really got our energy going. She’s really been able to control this team, handle the ball up top, know what to run offensively. She’s just done a great job controlling the game and controlling us. 

What was the mental state of the team following the loss to Virginia Tech? 

Right after the game, obviously we were all kind of sad and everything. Right after on the bus ride back, we’re like ‘y’all, this isn't the end of the season. It’s so early.’ Our momentum just really changed right there. We knew that we were going to come out and that we had a great game against Louisville coming up. We just had to do what we do, do what we know how to do to be ready for that game. 

How hard was the last month for you and how happy are you to be back? 

It was pretty tough. When we first went on hold everyone was like ‘woah, it’s hitting home now.’ We were doing pretty good. Going into that, I just had to be grateful for every moment. As soon as I was able to come back, it was just the little things. I think being grateful for all of that and knowing that it can be taken away in an instant really makes you want to play hard, go the extra mile because tomorrow is not promised. The next game is not promised. So you have to give everything you’ve got every single time you step out on that court.

How did the motivation of not being able to contribute in the loss carry over? 

It was really tough sitting there watching the game and not being able to necessarily do anything. That allowed me to get involved in other ways; watching from the side of the court, getting a different perspective on our offensive sets that we run and defense. It made me be able to talk to my teammates and communicate to them about stuff that I could see and they couldn’t. So, it really gave me kind of an edge to see how our offensive sets were working out and what I saw from that time. 

How hard was your time off with COVID-19?

My first couple days were the worst. I was feeling bad, and I definitely had some symptoms and all of that. I was able to go out for some walks, but obviously you can’t do much. I was feeling pretty bad, but then at the halfway point it all turned around. Coming back, I think I was so excited the first day back that I wasn’t even winded at all. I was just running out there. I had too much energy. The coaches had to tell me to calm down a little bit. So, I’m feeling good. Coming back felt good. My mom was a little worried. She was in the stands. I gave her a thumbs up at the end of the first quarter because I was feeling good. 

Raina Perez

Did it feel like you guys were able to push the pace? 

I think our game in general is just to push in transition and get some points. That was our game plan going in, to just push the ball like we usually do. It worked out for the most part. Maybe we didn’t get a bucket every time, but we forced them to sprint back as well. We were able to attack the basket this game and hit some shots, too. Draw two defenders, kick out to the outlet. Going in, I think we definitely went with what we needed to do. That was pretty much it. 

Were you more aggressive by design?

I think that’s just kind of what I needed to do tonight for the team. I think a lot of people are figuring out who our scorers are and who we are trying to get the ball to. I think just me trying to be another attacker, another scorer just helps them get open more. I don’t mind it. I’m happy giving the ball to them, getting them open and drawing the defense. But yeah, I just think I was doing what I can to get my teammates open and do what I need to do as well. It worked well.

What was it like facing Dana Evans?

I didn’t guard her often. I was more on Hailey Van Lith, but just being there in the gaps. She’s definitely a good player. I know why she is at the top of the ACC, top of the nation. It was different. It was good going up against her, seeing that I could compete and seeing that I could stay with her. I liked it.

What’s the vibe in the locker room like after these wins?  

I know it’s pretty early in the season, but I think if we just keep doing what we’re doing, following the scout, rebounding, pushing, we can go pretty far. We can go as far as we want. Beating another No. 1 team just motivates us, and I’m excited to see where we can take this.

Where did your ability to out hustle and out rebound Louisville come from? 

I don’t think it was anything they did. I think it was more so what we did. Coach Moore told us that we needed to win the 50-50 balls, needed to do the little things. So, that was our mindset going into the game. We did it, and I think that’s why we won.

How much does it mean to you to show your abilities in these big games? 

It means a lot. That’s why I came here to NC State; to play in these big games, to compete against the best. Like Elissa was saying, if you want to be the best, you’ve got to beat the best. They were No. 1, so we did what we had to do. I’m excited to be here.