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Monday, December 18, 2000
N.C. State's defensive binge continues
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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- The chaos theory keeps working for North Carolina State (No. 19 ESPN/USA Today, No. 21 AP).
While the offense wasn't much to brag about, the Wolfpack's defense was about as good as it gets Saturday in a 59-51 victory over No. 8 Texas Tech.
North Carolina State (7-1) forced 28 turnovers and got Tech's top scorer, Plenette Pierson, to foul out with 11 minutes to play.
"We've been making a living on defense since the season started," said Wolfpack coach Kay Yow, who is just four wins from 600 for her career.
"We have to help each other out and create chaos by scrambling. We're not a great offensive team but we can get the job done defensively."
Carisse Moody scored 14 points and Adeola Olanrewaju had 11 for the Wolfpack. Moody also led N.C. State's stifling defense with seven steals.
"We wanted to focus on stopping the penetration. We wanted our
post players to step in and plug up the gaps," Moody said.
Shooting just 39 percent for the season, the Wolfpack struggled again on the unfamiliar floor at the University of Texas' Erwin Center.
N.C. State hit just 18 of 52 shots from the floor and didn't hit a single 3-pointer. The Wolfpack were much better from the foul line, converting 23 of 30 free throws.
Texas Tech, meanwhile, couldn't take advantage of N.C. State's
season-long offensive slump. The Lady Raiders (5-1) had their own
problems with 15-of-47 shooting.
"From my perspective, it was really disappointing," Tech coach
Marsha Sharp said. "Certainly we kind of got away with it in the
first half but in the second half it killed us. We really have to
learn how important every possession is."
Tech led 37-26 on Katrisa O'Neal's 3-pointer with 17:15 to play
before the Wolfpack pretty much shut things down offensively.
After Daphne Hutcherson's back-to-back layups gave the Wolfpack
(7-1) their first lead at 53-49, Tech didn't convert a field goal
over the final 7:30.
Jia Perkins led Texas Tech with 12 points and O'Neal added 11,
but they combined for 5-of-24 shooting.
Perkins, who had hit seven straight foul shots, could have tied
it late. Leading 54-50 in with 2:39 to play, N.C. State sent her to
the line twice but Perkins could make just one of four free throws.
The Lady Raiders sorely missed Pierson, who fouled out with Tech
leading 43-40. After sending Pierson to the bench, Olanrewaju
converted both foul shots.
N.C. State ended up outscoring Texas Tech 30-16 in the paint.
Pierson averages 15.6 points but left the game with just six points
and three rebounds.
"She is a big part of our offense," O'Neal said. "We need her
to score more to win. I think basically it was a lot of bad
decisions and playing out of control. That's what got us."
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