GREENSBORO, NC – North Carolina coach Wes Moore is delighted to be back in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game as the Wolfpack look to defend their title.
Elissa Cunane had another huge game with 23 points and nine rebounds, and third-seeded Wolfpack had to fight back from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat Georgia Tech 66-61 in the semi-final on Saturday.
Moore knows his team will have to play better against No. 5 Louisville on Sunday if it hopes to repeat. The Cardinals defeated Syracuse 72-59 in the other semifinal on Saturday.
“We’ve found a way to win, but I wouldn’t say we don’t click in any way,” said Moore. “We’ll have to fine-tune their intensity, and we’ll have to do a little better offensively and hopefully shoot the ball a little better, because Louisville is going to score points.”
Lotta-Maj Lahtinen came in with 17 points and five assists for the Yellow Jackets (15-8), who led most of the second half but got cold in the waning moments.
Cunane finished 8 out of 13 off the field and helped seal the win with two clutch-free throws with 8.8 seconds to go, finishing 7 out of 8 from the NC State foul line (19-2).
“We tried our best to contain her,” said Lorela Cubaj, Georgia Tech’s forward, who finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds. “At the end of the day, we just have to do that for 40 minutes. The last four minutes were crucial and she showed up. “
Georgia Tech closed the first half with a 9-2 run to take a 33-28 lead in the dressing room, with Cubaj and Lahtinen collecting seven of those runs. The Yellow Jackets would stretch the lead to 10 early in the fourth quarter.
But the Wolfpack didn’t panic and took the lead with 2:27 3s left by Kai Crutchfield and Jakia Brown-Turner and back-to-back baskets in the low post from Cunane.
“We needed something to fuel our mojo,” said Crutchfield.
Kayla Jones added 12 points and eight rebounds for the Wolfpack.
“I really felt like Georgia Tech was outperforming us in the first half,” said Moore. “They outperformed us on fast break points, they outperformed us, they outpaced us on second chance points. … They just slapped us in the mouth and took it, and in the second half we were a lot better. It’s what champions do. They find a way to win. “
Georgia Tech coach Nell Fortner said, “Really proud of how we fought hard today and gave ourselves a chance to win.”
LARGE PHOTO
Georgia Tech: Cubaj proved difficult to stop in the low post and will be a problem in the NCAA tournament with her range of moves, including a handy hook shot. Lahtinen is a strong scorer, making 8 of the 11 shots from the field. “I think they have a chance to make a point” in the tournament, said Moore.
NC State: Cunane was strong on the inside, but the Wolfpack also got big plays from Crutchfield and Brown-Turner in the crucial fourth quarter. Both ended with 10 points.
CUNANE’S BIG TOURNAMENT
Growing up near Greensboro, Cunane is in the middle of another great ACC tournament. She had a game-high 27 points and nine rebounds in a 68-55 win over Virginia Tech in the quarter-finals, taking 10 of 15 shots from the floor and 7 of 8 from the foul line.
“It’s time for tournaments, so I’ve definitely stepped up my game,” said Cunane. “I know there aren’t many people who can protect me when my teammates get the ball in front of me, and we shot it really well from the outside, so that leaves in the middle.”
TIP-INS
NC State then hit-no. 1 ranked Louisville 74-60 last month. … Georgia Tech shot only 3 out of 13 off the field. … Georgia Tech tried only six free throws in the game.
NEXT ONE
Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets will be waiting to hear where they will be seeded in the upcoming NCAA tournament after finishing third in the conference’s regular season standings.
NC State: The Wolfpack is looking for its second consecutive ACC title on Sunday.
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