NC State Wolfpack

March 7, 2013

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GREENSBORO, N.C. - For the fourth-straight season, the NC State women's basketball team advanced to the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament, defeating Clemson, 56-45, in the first round Thursday afternoon at the Greensboro Coliseum.

NC State (16-15, 7-11 ACC) took down Clemson (9-21, 5-13 ACC) in all three meetings this season, marking the first time the Wolfpack defeated an opponent three times in one season since beating Maryland on three occasions in 1995-96.

Kody Burke led the way with 16 points and six rebounds, Marissa Kastanek chipped in 14 points and Markeisha Gatling pulled down 11 rebounds to lead the Pack.

"We're excited to be moving on," said head coach Kellie Harper. "It's really important for our players to understand that it's a great team win. Clemson came in fighting. We knew that was going to happen. It's tournament time."

The first half featured five lead changes, as the Wolfpack took a 17-16 lead with 8:57 remaining on a Breezy Williams three-pointer, but the Tigers countered with a 9-0 run over the next four minutes to grab a 25-17 advantage. NC State used a 9-4 run to close the half, and trailed Clemson by three, 29-26, at intermission.

The Pack shot 32 percent from the field and 3-of-7 (.429) from beyond the arc, while hitting 7-of-9 from the free throw line in the first half. The Tigers were 14-of-33 (.424) from the floor and did not attempt a single free throw, as NC State committed just two fouls in the half - both on the offensive end of the floor.

"I thought we were a little tight on the offensive end," Harper said. "Sometimes you see that in the first-round games. I thought they got after our guards a little bit. We just seemed a little bit out of sync. You have to give their defense a lot of credit for doing that."



The second half was a back-and-forth affair, as Clemson was only able to extend its lead to as large as four, after Chancie Dunn converted a three-point play with 6:14 remaining to make the score 44-40.

NC State saved its best for last and used a 16-1 run over the course of the final 5:07 - highlighted by a Kastanek three-ball to give the Wolfpack a 47-44 lead and a three-point play by Burke -  to close out the game and seal the 11-point victory.

The Pack held the Tigers to 5-of-30 (.167) shooting from the field and 0-for-9 beyond the three-point line in the second half. Clemson finished the game shooting 19-of-63 (.302) overall, 6-of-7 (.857) from the free-throw stripe and just 1-of-14 (.071) from downtown.

NC State has held its last five opponents to an average of one three-pointer per game, and those teams are shooting just 5-of-64 (.078) beyond the arc.

Clemson was led by Nikki Dixon's 11 points and five rebounds.

The eighth-seeded Wolfpack will take on top-seeded Duke (27-2, 17-1 ACC) in Friday's quarterfinal for the second-straight year. Opening tip is scheduled for 2 p.m.