Gameday Live Blog/Open Thread: ACC Women's Semifinal
GREENSBORO -- It's all set up for the NC State women's basketball team at the ACC tournament.
Third-seeded Duke is gone, having been upset by Boston College on Friday, giving up the final 14 points of the game in the process. Top-seeded Louisville has also been upset, going down to defeat against Florida State on Saturday.
That makes the Wolfpack the highest seeded team left in the field at Greensboro Coliseum.
All that's left for coach Wes Moore's team now is to take care of its business and win State's first ACC championship in men's or women's basketball, football or baseball since 1991.
That might be easier than it sounds, given the Wolfpack's history of not being able to stand prosperity. But if it's ever going to happen, the opportunity won't get any better than this.
It won't be a walkover, though. BC has won eight of its past nine games -- including two here in Greensboro. State did, however, win the regular season meeting between the teams 72054 on Dec. 29.
If the Wolfpack can shoot the ball reasonably well, get the ball inside to Elissa Cunane and not turn it over too much, a trip to the final awaits.
Make sure to check back here for live updates and analysis as the game goes on!
PREGAME
State starts with its usual five ... Elissa Cunane and Kayla Jones up front, Jakia Brown-Turner on the wing and the duo of Elissa Cunane and Kayla Jones up front. ...
In addition to being a game to determine which team goes to the tournament championship game, it's also a battle between the Wolfpack's Wes Moore, who should have won the ACC's Coach of the Year award, and BC's Joanna Bernabei-McNamee, who actually did win it ...
FIRST QUARTER
The Wolfpack fell behind by 14 early in its quarterfinal win against Georgia Tech and it's off to a slow start again here today. At least defensively. BC has made six of its first eight field goal attempts, including a couple of threes, and is up 13-10 ...
State is shooting 50 percent and is hitting the boards hard, outrebounding the Eagles 5-2 thus far, with three of the rebounds coming on the offensive end ...
First TV timeout: BC 15, State 14
Another offensive rebound, this one off a free throw miss by Jones, is followed by a jumper in the lane by Jones to give the Wolfpack the lead at 17-15 ...
State now has seven offensive rebounds ... but only five second chance points. Meanwhile, BC is still hotter than a July afternoon, shooting 11 of 14 (79 percent ) ...
Jones hits a three to break a 2 1/2 minute scoring drought by the Wolfpack, then Crutchfield hits a buzzer-beating three as the quarter ends and despite its defensive issues, the Wolfpack only trails by one after one ...
First quarter: BC 24, State 23
SECOND QUARTER
This is BC's third game in as many days, so you have to think the Eagles aren't going to be able to keep up this hot shooting pace all day. State is still in great shape, only down by 1. Wolfpack needs to keep the pressure on, make BC work as hard as possible and try to wear it down by the fourth quarter ...
Jada Boyd heating up off the bench for the Wolfpack, hitting two straight jumpers. Now a three for Cunane and the Wolfpack has outscored the Eagles 10-2 to start the second period. Wolfpack up by seven ...
Steal and fastbreak layup by Boyd makes it 37-27 as BC asks for timeout. Boyd is by far the most athletic player on the team and is going to be a superstar before she's through at State ...
The ACC is making a donation of $70,542 to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund during the timeout ...
Konig hits from the baseline and it's a 13-1 Wolfpack run. The lead is up to 41-27. It looks like the Eagles might already be out of gas ...
15-1 run and 43-27 lead as Konig hits Boyd on a perfectly executed fastbreak. Another BC timeout with 3:10 left in the half ...
Remember when BC was 11 of 14 from the floor? The Eagles are now 1 for their last 9. They haven't made a basket in just under seven minutes ...
Kayla Jones hits a corner three with 1 second left in the period and the Wolfpack goes into halftime comfortably ahead ...
Halftime: State 48, BC 30
THIRD QUARTER
Cunane crashes into BC's Taylor Soule and is called for her third foul. That could be troublesome ...
Konig hits a three, her third of the game, to extend State's lead past the 20-point mark ... 56-34. ...
TV timeout: State 58, BC 38
Even without Cunane on the floor, State is still dominating the glass. State is outrebounding BC 24-16, with 11 of its rebounds coming on the offensive end ...
Here's a thought ... With a 22-point lead and a championship game to play why not leave Cunane on the bench for the rest of this one and have her fresher for Florida State tomorrow?
End of 3: State 65, BC 45
Brown-Turner comes down funny after getting an offensive rebound and limps off. Looked like an ankle. She's talking to the trainer now. That's not what you need this time of year ...
She's still sitting at the end of the bench. Like Cunane, I wouldn't put her back in the game today if I was Moore ...
Konig leaves to a nice ovation with seven minutes left. That might be the last we see of her today, as well ...
The Wolfpack is 10 of 22 from three-point range today ...
Boyd now tied with Konig with a team-leading 16 points ...
Final TV timeout: State 74, BC 57
Konig back into the game. She's the team's best ballhandler and State has been bothered by BC's press the past few trips ...
State's Grace Hunter called for a foul as BC was scoring, giving the Eagles the basket anbd one of two free throws. Eagles are back to within 13 with 3:11 left.
And now the Wolfpack turns it over. This could still get interesting. BC did, after all, score the last 14 points of the game against Duke last night
Now Konig leaves for good ... State up by 13 with 1:09 left and Ealy at the line for two ...
Wolfpack sleepwalks to the finish, but wins, keeping several of its top players fresh in the process. It's on to the ACC tournament championship game for the first time since 2010, where State will take on fourth-seeded Florida State looking for State's first title since 1991.
Final: State 82, BC 75
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