Box Score Box score (pdf)
RALEIGH, N.C. – The Wofford women’s basketball team dropped its season opener on the road to NC State 85-45 in the first game of the Sheraton Raleigh Wolfpack Invitational Friday afternoon in the Reynolds Coliseum.
Wofford (0-1, 0-0) falls to 16-17 in season openers, and will play the loser of the Auburn and Maine game Saturday at 5 p.m. back in the Reynolds Colliseum.
NC State opened the game with a 9-0 run highlighted by five points from Myisha Goodwin-Coleman. Daniella Motley ended the run with a jumper on the left baseline to cut the lead to 9-2 with just over three minutes into play. Lauren Kirby knocked down a baseline jumper to end an almost two minutes scoring drought in the game to make it 9-4.
The Wolfpack responded with a 7-0 run sparked by baskets by Kody Burke and Marissa Kastanek to extend the lead to 18-4 with 11:33 left in the half.
Motley ended an almost four-minutes scoring drought for Wofford with a reverse layup and found Michelle Merritt underneath for a basket to put the Terriers on a 6-0 run as they cut the lead to eight points, 18-10, with 9:25 remaining.
Breezy Williams hit a jumper in the lane that ended three-minute scoreless streak for NC State as the lead went back to double-digits, 20-10, with just under eight minutes to play. Thirty seconds later, Kiana Evans scored on a post move, but Chanel Stokes answered for Wofford with her first collegiate basket to keep the lead at ten points, 22-12, with 6:18 left in the half.
NC State mounted an 11-0 run to push the lead to 33-12 on a three by Goodwin-Coleman with three minutes to play, but Motley ended the run with a jumper from the top of the key on the ensuing Terrier possession. Following a Wolfpack basket Ashton Fleming scored her first points as a Terrier on a fast break, but Burke scored the next three points to push the lead out to 38-16. After a NC State turnover, Mariah Masalin scored the final basket of the half on a layup at the buzzer to cut the Wolfpack lead to 20 points, 38-18.
NC State opened the scoring in the half, but Wofford answered with the a Logan Morris jumper following an offensive rebound to keep the lead at 20 points, 40-20. The Wolfpack pushed the margin to 31 points, 55-24, on a Breezy Williams elbow jumpers as part of a 15-4 run with 13:13 left to play.
The Wolfpack continued to stretch the lead, 61-24, as they tacked on six points on baskets by Brown, Ashley Eli and Evans with 11:47 on the clock. Jordan Frazier ended a three-minute drought for the Terriers with a free throw ten seconds later to earn her first points as a Terrier as Wofford went on a 7-2 run to cut the lead to 63-31 with 10:32 left. Frazier also scored a runner in the lane during the run.
NC State’s lead hit 41 points, 78-37, on a basket by Evans with just over five minutes to play, The Wolfpack kept the lead 40 points over the final five minutes as they picked up the 85-45 win.
The Wolfpack held a 54.7 field goal percentage, while holding the Terriers to just a 28.4 clip from the floor. NC State finished 33.3 percent from three, while Wofford only converted two of its 20 attempts from long range for a ten percent three-point percentage.
Morgan Wrightson led Wofford with ten points, all of which came in the second half. Motley led the Terriers on the glass with ten rebounds. Frazier added eight points off the bench.
Burke led NC State and all scorers with 19 points, while Goodwin-Coleman added 15 points. Williams chipped in ten points, and Markeisha Gatling a game-high 13 rebounds.
