Louisville outlasts fourth-ranked NC State for road win
Louisville women’s basketball ended a two-game losing streak, defeating fourth-ranked NC State 66-59 in Raleigh Feb. 13. The Cardinals limited NC State to 32.3 percent shooting from the field and never allowed ACC Player of the Year candidate Elissa Cunane to get comfortable in the low post.
Jazmine Jones scored a game-high 19 points on 7 of 11 shooting while Dana Evans added 14 points for Louisville. Kayla Jones scored a team-high 17 points and Cunane finished with 10 points on 1 of 12 shots for NC State.
After falling behind 6-1 in the opening minutes, Louisville went on a 14-0 run to take a double-digit lead. Kylee Shook scored twice and Jazmine Jones capped the run with a 3-pointer from the wing as NC State was held scoreless for more than five minutes.
Jazmine Jones scored on an offensive rebound and put-back, then taking a steal for a layup to give Louisville a 19-8 lead. NC State shot 20 percent from the field in the first quarter while eight points tied a season-low for points in a quarter for the Wolfpack.
Jazmine Jones made a 3-pointer midway through the second quarter and a left-handed finish by Evans on a drive gave Louisville a 30-16 advantage. NC State answered with a 7-0 run to cut its deficit to seven points.
Evans ended a scoring drought that lasted more than three minutes with a 3-pointer in transition, the final points of the first half to extend the Cardinals’ lead to 33-23. NC State shot 25 percent from the field and went 1 of 12 on 3-point shots in the first half while Elissa Cunane went 0 of 5 from the field.
Kayla Jones scored in the low post to bring NC State within seven points midway through the third quarter, but Louisville answered following a timeout on a basket by Shook assisted by Jazmine Jones.
Jada Boyd cut NC State’s deficit to four points with a three-point-play in the low post. The Cardinals once again answered with Shook, which extended Louisville’s lead to 46-40 heading into the fourth quarter.
After missing her first eight shots, Cunane made a 3-pointer on NC State’s opening possession of the fourth quarter to cut Louisville’s lead to three points.
Yacine Diop and Jakia Brown-Turner traded shots from behind the arc before Elizabeth Balogun scored on a drive to return Louisville’s lead to two possessions.
Jazmine Jones scored on back-to-back possessions with a drive and 3-pointer, and Balogun followed with a basket to extend Louisville’s lead to 58-48 with five minutes left.
Shook capped a 7-0 run with a layup on an assist from Diop as NC State went more than four minutes without a field goal. Kayla Jones completed a three-point-play with two minutes left to pull NC State within nine points.
