LOCKER ROOM REPORT: Fifth-Ranked Wolfpack Obliterates No. 19 Heels

NC State head coach Wes Moore, forward Kayla Jones, and center Elissa Cunane met with the media following the No. 5 Wolfpack’s 72-45 win over No. 19 North Carolina Thursday evening at Reynolds Coliseum.

Cunane recorded a double-double against the visiting Tar Heels with 19 points and 13 rebounds in 30 minutes on the floor. Jones finished with a perfect 4-for-4 effort shooting with nine points in just 14 minutes of court time.

NOTE: Click on each thumbnail to watch each press conference in the player above. A transcript of Moore’s comments is posted below.

Opening Statement

When you’re winning, you can be lulled to sleep a little bit. I’ve been kind of disappointed in our defensive effort of late. I was hard on them this week, probably too hard, to be honest with you. I’m just so proud of the way they came out on defense: the energy they had, the urgency they had, the toughness they had. That’s what we have to do if we’re going to be successful in this league. You’re going to have nights where you don’t shoot the ball well, so you’re going to have to defend and rebound. For the most part, I thought we did that. I was really proud of our rebounding effort the first half. In the second half, we let up a little bit. We’ve got to put 40 minutes together in that area. Offensively, we’ve got to take care of the ball better. We had way too many turnovers, but that’s stuff that we can talk about and work on in the days to come. I’m really so proud of the way they came out ready to play and got after it and defended. It’s something we can build on, hopefully. 

Did you change a lot of the X-and-O stuff on defense, or was it just getting after them more?

Not a whole lot. We just worked a lot on defending the pick on the ball better. I thought, at Clemson, when we hit a pick, it was like, “Hey, it’s over." Tonight, they did a better job of reading the picks, trying to avoid the picks, showing urgency, and recovering from the picks. Again, I’m really proud of the way they were able to fix that, correct that, and do a better job.

What helped you win the rebounding battle tonight?

We just did a great job of boxing out and putting a body on people. [When it comes to] rebounding, a lot of it is heart. You get position, you hold your ground, and you compete for that ball. In the first half, we did that. In the second half, we let up a little bit. There were way too many rebounds given up in the second half, especially in the fourth quarter. Again, we came out and started the game and then to start the second half. I think you have to do that. We had a 17-point lead. You need to come out ready to play in that second half and widen the lead instead of letting them maybe get on a roll and get some confidence. I thought we did a nice job of that.

Have you figured out the best way to work all your players together on the floor?

We’re probably tightening it up a little bit. Again, some of the young players are going to be great players, but we’ve got a group of kids that have done a lot for this program. One of my childhood coaching legends in Texas, Darrell Royal, used to say, “We’re going to dance with the one [who brought] us." We’re going to dance with these young ladies as much as we can. They know that they’ve still got to be accountable because we’ve got some pretty good doggone players over there ready to come in. We’ve still got to defend with urgency, still got to box out and rebound, still got to take care of the ball, again an area we’ve got to get better in. We shoot the ball so well, if we’ll just take care of the ball we’ll put up some points. We’re a little bit too careless at times, so we’ve got to fix that. It’s a luxury having the talent that we do. It’s going to help us get some young players some opportunities when they get in there. I know they can get the job done. Again, Elissa Cunane, Kayla Jones, those are two kids who have been great for this program for a few years. Tonight, they were great when we needed them. We’ll keep riding them.

Did you expect this big of a game from Cunane tonight?

I’ve got to make sure I get her minutes and get her out there. I kind of messed up in the Clemson game. We had three coaches out due to protocol down there, but that’s no excuse. I’ve got to do a better job of being cognizant of who is doing what. Tonight, I was determined to make sure we got her minutes. She responded, played great. That’s what we need: 19 points and 13 boards. That’s a pretty strong night in this league against a good team. I’m excited about what she can do here the next few months.

Can you allow yourself to appreciate not only a win over a rival but also a win over another Top-25 team?

As a coach, you kind of move on pretty quick. As soon as I walk out of here, I’ll be looking at the scout of Notre Dame that’s been put together. We’ve got to get ready for a great team. I think Notre Dame has probably the best young talent in this league. The last time we went up there we played really well, so we’re going to get their best shot I’m sure. I’m worried about that, but I am proud. I was concerned coming in. Like I said, I was probably too hard on them this week. I felt bad about it. I just felt like hopefully they could have the confidence to respond and have the urgency. That’s what’s great about having a veteran team. A lot of them don’t mind being coached a little bit. I’ve got to be a little bit more positive. I’ve got to be more aware of where the team is. Sometimes, maybe it’s good to be butthole-ish.

How big was the first quarter in terms of setting the tone on both sides of the ball?

We came out ready to play, especially defensively. I think we jumped up, 10- or 12-0. We got stops. We got the ball inside some. Transition was good. I’m proud of the way we came out in the third quarter. It’d be easy for a team to lose a little bit of focus there, and they didn’t. That was big because, again, a 17-point lead with the three-point shot and the pace of the game, that team could have been scoring a lot of points. It could have turned in a minute. The veterans made sure that didn’t happen. I’m proud of the way they started the game, and I’m proud of the way they started the second half.