Wolfpack Women upset top-seeded Duke in ACC Tournament

Today Coach Kellie Harper’s team upset the top seed in the ACC Tournament, Duke, 75-73. After coming back from a halftime deficit for the first time all year yesterday in defeating Florida State 74-71, the Wolfpack women won the right to play the ACC’s top seed with a gaudy 15-1 conference regular season record. History was not on their side.

The Blue Devils had reached the tournament semifinals every year since 1995 and appeared to be in the running for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. But they struggled all day and went 9-for-19 from the free throw line, losing their first tournament opener since falling to Maryland in the 1994 quarterfinals.

It also was the first time in tournament history that the No. 1 seed had failed to reach the semifinals. The No. 1 seed was 32-0 in the tournament against teams seeded eighth or ninth before Friday.

But the Wolfpack were not intimidated and were ready to avenge their worst game of the year, a 24 point beatdown in Durham in January. From the beginning, they played like they belonged on the same court as the Blue Devils, and it showed on their faces. Duke, beset by injuries late in the year, could not believe that they were in a dogfight with the Wolfpack.

State scratched and clawed its way back from a one point halftime deficit to take a lead of 73-65 with 2:54 remaining and held off a late charge and scored the biggest upset in women’s basketball today. The Wolfpack was lead by Bonae Holston and Marissa Kastanek, who each scored 16 points.

They can’t celebrate for too long as they face #18 Georgia Tech tomorrow. Tech beat North Carolina 54-53 today, resulting in the first time since 1991 that neither Duke nor North Carolina made it to the semifinals. Georgia Tech beat State 75-68 in OT about a month ago in Atlanta.

Good luck tomorrow Coach Harper and the team. 2 down. 2 to go. Survive and advance.

The game will be shown on ESPNU at 11 AM.

About ruffles31

1996 NC State graduate who is still waiting on his first ACC conference championship in any of the four main revenue sports (football, men's basketball, women's basketball, and baseball) since enrolling. All I want is a ACC Champions t-shirt.

11-12 Basketball ACC ACC & Other ACC Teams Big Four Rivals College Basketball Kellie Harper NC State NCS Basketball

16 Responses to Wolfpack Women upset top-seeded Duke in ACC Tournament

  1. Wilson F. 03/03/2012 at 12:11 AM #

    Any time the Pack beats a “blue team” it’s a good day!

  2. redwolf87 03/03/2012 at 12:11 AM #

    I can’t say that I’m a loyal supporter of women’s basketball in terms of attendance, but I’m darned well going to ride over there tomorrow morning. Hope a lot of us can do the same. Tix should be plentiful and cheap.

    I really like Kellie Harper and think that this team is headed in the right direction.

  3. Primewolf 03/03/2012 at 12:54 AM #

    Pls marry me, Kellie Harper.

    Great show, ladies.

  4. logarithm 03/03/2012 at 8:03 AM #

    I echo the sentiment that I probably don’t support the ladies as well as I should. Wish I could go over there today but I’ll be working. I think even though our ladies are like 9th in the conference, they’re trending upward and in good hands with Coach Harper. As much talk as there is of coaching the men against the blues in the ACC, ACC women’s basketball is at least an equally tall order right now.

    And even my mother says we have the best looking coach in women’s basketball.

  5. Wulfpack 03/03/2012 at 8:44 AM #

    It is not quite the same, logarithm. UNC really fell off this year going 9-7. Teams like Miami, Maryland, and GT have stepped up to fill the void — so there is a bunch of good competition. Duke is consistently awesome, which makes our win against them all the more impressive. It was a disappointing regular season for the Pack for the second straight year. Let’s hope we can win two more to end up where we rightfully belong, and build some momentum for next year.

  6. Gene 03/03/2012 at 9:21 AM #

    Big win for the Lady Wolfpack and another big game against #15 Ga. Tech.

    Hope we can keep the momentum going.

    GO PACK!

  7. mak4dpak 03/03/2012 at 9:30 AM #

    Congrats to Coach Harper and the Lady Wolfpack! Great win, and with UNC, Miami out, if things go right, we could be the tourney champs. Only wish state fans nation showed more interest in all school athletics, as they do with football, and mens basketball. The lady pack deserve it, and need our support today against GT. Go Pack!!!

  8. Howler 03/03/2012 at 10:12 AM #

    Awesome job, and with Wake having beaten the number 2 seed, Miami, the path is right there for the women to hang a banner this year.

    One thing that I’ve noticed in the women’s game is that the shooting is so fundamentally sound. Great form and follow through on jump shots.

  9. BJD95 03/03/2012 at 10:30 AM #

    As with baseball, I usually only pay moderate attention until the stakes are raised. They are now, and I will be watching at 11.

    Feel free to use this as an open game thread for the Lady Pack’s semifinal action. Keep surviving and advancing.

  10. old13 03/03/2012 at 11:19 AM #

    Go Lady Packers! Hope that fatigue doesn’t get them! Three games in three days, the way they have been scrapping, is brutal!

  11. 61Packer 03/03/2012 at 11:21 AM #

    ESPN’s “Blue Man Crew” will have one less blue thing to drool over tonight at their annual pilgrimmage to Cameron, thanks to two schools I doubt they even know exist, Georgia Tech and NC State.

    Will Karl Hess be there?

  12. graywolf 03/03/2012 at 11:57 AM #

    I think the Harper’s are great coaches but I wish they could get the same motivation from the players she gets during the tournament.
    Go Pack………stomp a bee and advance to the finals.

  13. Wulfpack 03/03/2012 at 12:22 PM #

    We’re getting thumped pretty good, darn it.

  14. old13 03/03/2012 at 1:03 PM #

    Looks like they ran out of gas – but who wouldn’t with three games in three days plus the very emotional win over Duke. I’m very happy that they showed up for the ACCT!

  15. ncsu1987 03/03/2012 at 1:08 PM #

    Definitely ran out of gas today, but congrats to the team for a great run and win!

  16. oceanman 03/03/2012 at 1:23 PM #

    Lets hope that Wolfpack athletes from every sport were watching to see what Wolfpack pride, heart and deternmination look like. Way to go ladies!!!!!!!!!!!

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