No. 3 Wolfpack women top Tar Heels to stay unbeaten in ACC

Posted January 30, 2022 6:00 am

By AARON BEARD

North Carolina forward Anya Poole (31) and North Carolina State center Elissa Cunane (33) go after the ball during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022, in Chapel Hill, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward) The Associated Press

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) - Kai Crutchfield scored 16 points and third-ranked North Carolina State rallied from a 12-point deficit to beat rival North Carolina 66-58 on Sunday, remaining unbeaten in the Atlantic Coast Conference race.

Elissa Cunane added 11 points and 12 rebounds in the Wolfpack's second recent show of comeback punch. N.C. State had rallied from 14 down after three quarters to beat No. 5 Louisville on Jan. 20, then erased another a big first-half hole - this time on a court where N.C. State had lost with a top-10 ranking in each of the previous two years.

The Wolfpack (19-2, 10-0 ACC) led by as many as 14 points in the fourth quarter, then had to hold off a frantic rally by the Tar Heels (16-4, 6-4). UNC got as close as five late but Crutchfield took a feed from Kayla Jones against the Tar Heels' scrambling traps and buried a 3 from the left wing with 1:12 left that kept the Wolfpack in control.

Kennedy Todd-Williams had 15 points and seven rebounds to lead UNC, but leading scorer Deja Kelly - who came in ranked third in the ACC with 16.7 points per game - went scoreless on 0-for-11 shooting in this one.

BIG PICTURE

N.C. State: The Louisville win put the Wolfpack in firm control of the league lead in pursuit of the program's first regular-season since 1989-90. That perfect ACC start so far had included a 72-45 win against the Tar Heels in the first meeting after UNC had started 13-0. The Wolfpack had chances to bumble this one away once pushing in front, but shot 53.6% after halftime and avoided walking out of Carmichael Arena yet again with a loss.

UNC: The Tar Heels responded much better than the first meeting, when they fell behind big early and never recovered. They pounced early when N.C. State opened the game with missed shots and turnovers, but never strung together enough baskets to feel comfortable. Its 27-15 lead early was down to six by halftime, then N.C. State rushed out of the break to take the lead for good. The Tar Heels shot just 32% in this one and made 5 of 23 3-pointers.

UP NEXT

N.C. State: No. 20 Notre Dame hosts the Wolfpack on Tuesday in a game that was rescheduled from Jan. 9.

UNC: The Tar Heels visit Wake Forest on Thursday.

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Follow Aaron Beard on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/aaronbeardap

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More AP women's college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

North Carolina State forward Kayla Jones, left, drives against North Carolina forward Anya Poole (31) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022, in Chapel Hill, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward) The Associated Press

North Carolina State center Camille Hobby (41) drives between North Carolina guard Carlie Littlefield (2) and forward Malu Tshitenge, right, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022, in Chapel Hill, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward) The Associated Press

North Carolina State head coach Wes Moore gestures to the team during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against North Carolina, Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022, in Chapel Hill, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward) The Associated Press

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