Women's Basketball
Thursday, March 7, 2013
N.C. State / ACC / Women's Basketball / Basketball Kastanek, Wolfpack dodge a bullet; face Blue Devils next
Posted by Mike Potter on Thu, Mar 7, 2013 at 6:38 PM
GREENSBORO COLISEUM N.C. State finds itself in a must-win situation as the Wolfpack starts ACC Tournament play.
The No. 8 seed Wolfpack (15-15) takes on No. 9 Clemson (9-20) for the chance to meet No. 1 seed Duke in the second round.
- Photo courtesy NCSU athletics
- State guard Marissa Kastanek
Wolfpack coach Kellie Harper, in her fourth season, has not lost a first-round game in the tournament while Clemson is looking for its first tournament win since 2009.
State won both regular-season meetings comfortably, rolling 79-45 on Feb. 10 at Reynolds Coliseum and 63-47 in the regular-season finale Sunday at Clemson.
The Tigers look like they might win until the last TV timeout, but the Wolfpack comes up with a late run and pulls away 56-45.
ACC / Women's Basketball / Basketball Cold Miami ousts Hokies to strengthen case for NCAA bid
Posted by Mike Potter on Thu, Mar 7, 2013 at 2:31 PM
GREENSBORO COLISEUM It’s the Opening Game of the ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament, and as is always the case for the 11 a.m. starts the screaming young fans are out in force.
- Photo courtesy Miami athletics
- Miami center Shawnice "Pepper" Wilson
The winner will square off in the brunch game tomorrow against archrival and No. 4 seed Florida State (21-8), which is ranked No. 23 nationally and will play in the NCAA Tournament.
Former Duke All-American Katie Meier coaches Miami, which for some reason seems to be the crowd favorite.
Miami won both regular-season meetings comfortably, 68-42 on Feb. 3 in Coral Gables and 64-46 in the regular-season finale a month later in Blacksburg.
The Hurricanes take a big lead early, holding off a Hokie charge in the second half to win 45-39.
Duke / ACC / Women's Basketball / Basketball Duke's Gray, McCallie pick up ACC yearly honors
Posted by Mike Potter on Thu, Mar 7, 2013 at 12:42 PM
Regular-season champion Duke chalked up some more ACC women’s basketball awards on Thursday.
- Photo courtesy Duke athletics
- Duke guard Chelsea Gray
Blue Devil mentor Joanne P. McCallie was named coach of the year by the Blue Ribbon panel, while Maryland’s Brenda Frese got the honor from her fellow coaches.
And in player of the year voting the Blue Devils’ junior guard Chelsea Gray — whose season was ended when she tore an MCL on Feb. 14 — tied with Maryland junior Alyssa Thomas in the coaches’ poll. The Blue Ribbon panel, made up largely of media members, gave its honor solely to Thomas.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Duke / N.C. State / UNC-Chapel Hill / ACC / Women's Basketball / Basketball Wolfpack faces a must win; Duke and UNC will wait a day
Posted by Mike Potter on Wed, Mar 6, 2013 at 8:14 PM
N.C. State is badly in need of a victory Thursday afternoon.
If the Wolfpack wants to play in the post season, it definitely needs to complete a three-game sweep of Clemson in the first round of the ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament at Greensboro Coliseum.
- Photo courtesy NCSU athletics
- State coach Kellie Harper
The action starts at 11 a.m. with a game between No. 5 seed Miami (20-9) and No. 12 Virginia Tech (10-19), with that victor advancing to Friday’s 11 a.m. contest against No. 4 seed Florida State (21-8).
The No. 8 seed Wolfpack (15-15) and No. 9 seed Tigers (9-20) will square off at 2 p.m., with that winner taking on the No. 1 seed Blue Devils on Friday at 2.
Thursday’s 6 p.m. game will have No. 7 seed Georgia Tech (14-15) taking on No. 10 seed Wake Forest (12-18), with that winner advancing to a Friday contest against No. 2 seed and defending champion Maryland (23-6).
- Indy file photo
- UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell (left) and Duke coach Joanne P. McCallie are hoping their teams have good runs this week to get ready for NCAA play.
And in Thursday’s nightcap at 8, No. 6 seed Virginia (16-13) will play No. 11 seed Boston College (11-18), with that survivor taking on the No. 3 seed Tar Heels on Friday at 8.
Semifinals are on Saturday afternoon beginning at 1 p.m., with the title game at 2 on Sunday.
Duke / UNC-Chapel Hill / ACC / Women's Basketball / Basketball Duke's Williams again ACC defensive player of year
Posted by Mike Potter on Wed, Mar 6, 2013 at 7:33 PM
Duke sophomore center Elizabeth Williams has been named the ACC’s defensive player of the year for the second time.
- Photo courtesy Duke athletics
- Duke center Elizabeth Williams
Joining Williams on the five-player unit are teammate Chelsea Gray, UNC center Waltiea Rolle, Miami’s Morgan Stroman and Georgia Tech’s Tyaunna Marshall.
Williams and Gray were earlier named first-team All-ACC on both the coaches’ and Blue Ribbon Panel teams along with Stroman and Marshall.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Duke / UNC-Chapel Hill / ACC / Women's Basketball / Basketball McDaniel, Jones lead ACC's all-freshman teams
Posted by Mike Potter on Tue, Mar 5, 2013 at 1:39 PM
UNC’s Xylina McDaniel has been named the ACC’s rookie of the year both by the conference’s Blue Ribbon Panel, consisting largely of media members, as well as by a vote of the head coaches.
McDaniel had also been named to the 12-player first all-conference team by the coaches and to the five-player second team by the Panel on Monday.
Duke’s Alexis Jones joined her on both all-freshmen teams, along with Boston College’s Nicole Boudreau and Georgia Tech’s Brittany Jackson.
Maryland split the fifth spots, with Chloe Pavlech selected by the Blue Ribbon Panel and Malina Howard by the coaches.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Duke / N.C. State / UNC-Chapel Hill / ACC / Women's Basketball / Basketball Gray, Williams, Ruffin-Pratt lead All-ACC selections
Posted by Mike Potter on Mon, Mar 4, 2013 at 6:25 PM
The ACC released its all-conference women’s basketball teams today, and it looks like maybe the coaches and media don’t get along as well as we thought.
In each case, there are five players on the All-ACC Second Team.
Here’s how local players fared:
Duke’s Chelsea Gray and Elizabeth Williams were named to both first teams along with UNC’s Tierra Ruffin-Pratt.
N.C. State’s Marissa Kastanek and UNC’s Xylina McDaniel were named to the first team by the coaches and the second team by the Blue Ribbon Panel, which is largely comprised of working media.
Duke’s Tricia Liston was named to both second teams, while teammate Haley Peters was on the second team selected by the Panel. Wake Forest’s Lakevia Boykin, a graduate of Southeast Raleigh High, was named to the second team by the coaches.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Duke / UNC-Chapel Hill / ACC / Women's Basketball / Basketball Jones' 22 lead Duke over Tar Heels in defensive struggle
Posted by Mike Potter on Sun, Mar 3, 2013 at 8:59 PM
CAMERON INDOOR STADIUM/DURHAM It’s the regular-season finale. The Battle of the Blues. Throw out all the records because it’s for all the marbles - at least for a few days.
- Photo by Chris Baird
- Duke guard Alexis Jones drives as UNC's Krista Gross defends.
The classic old building will be packed to the gills this afternoon, as No. 5 Duke (26-2, 16-1) hosts No. 15 UNC (26-4, 14-3). The Blue Devils won the first meeting 84-63 on Feb. 3 in Chapel Hill.
It’s Senior Day for Blue Devil center Allison Vernerey.
Duke, which has won 17 straight at home, has clinched its fourth straight ACC regular-season title. The Tar Heels would get the No. 2 seed with the upset, but would have a coin flip with Maryland for the seed if Duke wins.
This time Duke prevails again in a game that’s often but very entertaining, holding on to win 65-58.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
N.C. State / ACC / Women's Basketball / Basketball Wolfpack drubs Virginia to give Kastanek happy Senior Night
Posted by Mike Potter on Thu, Feb 28, 2013 at 10:15 PM
REYNOLDS COLISEUM/RALEIGH N.C. State will hold its annual Senior Night, and while there’s only one player to be honored she’s going to be a very hard one to replace.
- Photo courtesy NCSU athletics
- State guard Marissa Kastanek
It’s a huge game for both teams’ post-season chances. State (13-15, 5-11) has run out of room for error if it’s hoping for at least a return to the WNIT. And Virginia (15-12, 7-9), coached by Duke alumna Joanne Boyle, has some work to do if it’s hoping to get back into the NCAA bracketology. Virginia had won the first meeting 78-59 on Jan. 13 in Charlottesville.
State will again have the services of junior guard Myisha Goodwin-Coleman, who served a one-game team disciplinary suspension for Sunday’s contest at UNC.
This time it all goes according to the mega-happy script for the Wolfpack, as Kastanek eclipses the 1,600 point barrier in an 80-59 romp.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
N.C. State / UNC-Chapel Hill / ACC / Women's Basketball / Basketball Ruffin-Pratt, UNC hold off scrappy Wolfpack for 25th win
Posted by Mike Potter on Sun, Feb 24, 2013 at 5:51 PM
- Photo by Chris Baird
- UNC's Waltiea Rolle goes up for a shot as State's Kody Burke applies the block. Others in the lane are (l-r) the Wolfpack's Krystal Barrett, Lakeesa Daniel and Len'Nique Brown and UNC's Krista Gross.
And in the big picture, this one may mean more to the Wolfpack (13-14, 5-10 ACC).
It’s UNC’s annual home Play 4Kay game, in memory of the late Wolfpack coach Kay Yow and to raise awareness of breast cancer. The No. 16 Tar Heels (24-4, 12-3 ACC) are all decked out in pink, but except for the shoes on walk-on Kaley Moser there is no pink on Wolfpack players who are in their standard home whites with red trim. State’s bench personnel are generally wearing some pink.
The Wolfpack, which needs every win it can get to earn a post-season berth, will play today without junior guard Myisha Goodwin-Coleman who is suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules.
Today the Wolfpack fights gamely in the underdog role, but the Tar Heels finish strong in a 68-58 victory.
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