The North Carolina State men’s and women’s Wolfpack have been off to quite the roll this year. The women stand at third in conference play and 10th in the country, with an undefeated record of 9-0. The men have had much criticism about lack of physicality and height, but have turned many heads with an 8-1 record. The only loss of the year came to a ranked Wisconsin squad by four points.
Lady Wolfpack
The women are 9-0 and have had some very notable games and standout individual performances. In their 78-74 win against Michigan State, they had four players reach double-digit scoring. Also, two contributed double-doubles. Kiera Leslie led the way with 17 points and 12 rebounds, while Grace Hunter saw 16 points and 11 rebounds. Senior Ace Konig contributed 16 points on 50% shooting from the field and Erika Cassell put up 12 points and five rebounds.
Their second big win came in Michigan, where Grace Hunter put up 19 points and Kiera Leslie tallied 15. Also, both recorded eight rebounds apiece. A slept on factor with this team is the play of their big positions. Having DD Rodgers be their defensive specialist and the more experienced member of the group, along with the play of Cassel (not to mention the combined bench effort of Kayla Jones and Elissa Cunane off the bench), is almost overwhelming to defenders. Their hustle and IQ for the game is just too much.
They run a fast-paced game, able to cause turnovers with the peskiness of their guard play and convert on those plays. Keep an eye out for the Lady Wolfpack as they square off against a 6-2 Maine team at home on Dec. 15th.
Men Wolfpack Turning Heads
The men’s team has had early success in the season. Some may say it’s surprising considering their lack of depth. They are 8-1 right now and have beat some teams by very large margins. It all came to pass at the beginning of the season, obliterating Mount St. Mary’s by 50 points. The team shot about 55% from the field and almost 46% from the three-point line, having standout performances from Markell Johnson, C.J. Bryce, and Torin Dorn.
Senior Torin Dorn had a career-high 28 points while shooting 4-for-7 from the three-point line. Johnson finished with 17 points and Bryce tallied 16. More recently, the squad faced off against Western Carolina on Dec. 5th. They came out on top 100-67. This marks the Wolfpack’s third game on the year where they have scored 100+ points in a game. This on a night that couldn’t have been more special, as the Reynolds Coliseum was renamed after Valvano.
Four players came out with double-digits, but it was Devon Daniels who stood out with a 21 point outing. He shot 67% from the field and 60% from three-point range. Freshman Jericole Hellems saw 16 points and Missouri transfer Blake Harris put up 15. He only missed two shots, while recording five assists. This squad may not be the deepest, but they are efficient and ready to battle every time they touch the hardwood.
They are fast and run every play and set almost to perfection. They are determined to win the rebounding battle, as they have won in seven of their nine games of the season. Be on the lookout as they square up against Penn State on ESPNU at 2 p.m. on Dec. 15th.
Photo Credit: NC State Women’s Basketball via Twitter
