The eighth-ranked NC State women’s basketball was able to avenge its sole loss of the season Sunday night. What made the win even sweeter was that it came against archrival UNC.

After a slow start, including a field goal drought in the opening 3:42, the Pack caught fire. NC State ignited a 12-0 scoring run in the next 2:11 to take an 11-point lead over UNC with just more than four minutes to go in the opening quarter. The Pack never trailed thereafter.

Led by a stellar performance from sophomore center Elissa Cunane, the Wolfpack (19-1, 8-1 ACC) defeated the Tar Heels (14-6, 5-4) 76-68.

Cunane claimed her eleventh double-double of the season with 22 points and 17 rebounds. Fouled 11 times, Cunane went 14 of 16 from the foul line. She was incredibly efficient, recording a team-high 21 plus/minus total and adding three blocks on defense.

The home fans at Reynolds Coliseum helped matters. In the first sellout game of the season, the crowd of 5,591 made an impact on the game. Unlike in its first matchup against the Wolfpack, UNC was visibly rattled at times, including a drawn technical foul on the bench with just over one minute left in the first half.

“It's a great atmosphere for our players to play in,” said NC State head women’s basketball coach Wes Moore. “I just appreciate our fan base, and it's a great home court advantage. [At] Reynolds, the fans are right on top of you, so it really makes a difference.”

NC State shot an impressive 47.6 percent on three-point field goals throughout the game.

While still maintaining its signature offense through strong play in the post, the Wolfpack was able to post its best shooting percentage from beyond the arc in ACC play and its third-highest total this season.

The Pack’s offensive production was evenly spread out among its starters.

Senior guard Aislinn Konig had 16 points, four assists and went 4 for 7 from the perimeter, including two consecutive three-pointers in the fourth quarter when Carolina pulled within four. After UNC opened the fourth quarter on an 8-2 run, Konig’s three-pointers stretched the Wolfpack lead back to double digits.

“This is why you come to NC State,” Konig said. “You come here for big games with amazing crowds and high stakes. As a player and competitor, there is nowhere I’d rather be.”

Junior forward Kayla Jones added 10 points and seven rebounds in her 28 minutes on the floor. She was a perfect 2 for 2 on three-pointers, both of which came during important moments of the game.

The first gave the Wolfpack its first field goal of the game at the 6:15 mark in the first quarter and sparked the aforementioned 12-0 run. The second came with just over one minute left in the first half, the same play that sparked outrage from the UNC bench over a no-call on a possible travel which triggered the technical foul.

Junior guard Kai Crutchfield was the fourth NC State player with double-figure scoring totals. She had 13 points, shooting 5 for 11 from the field and 3 for 5 from the perimeter. She also contributed four rebounds and three assists.

Unlike in the first matchup against UNC in Chapel Hill this season, Cunane was much more of a factor in tonight’s game.

Rumor had it that she was suffering from a cold going into that game, but UNC’s junior center Janelle Bailey also bothered her all night in a physical matchup that led to NC State’s only loss of the season.

“First game, I just was going everywhere and turning the ball over a lot,” Cunane said. “My coaches and teammates helped me prepare by telling me, ‘Elissa, calm down, you know who you are. Just take the ball to the basket.'"

Bailey was not as successful in the second meeting in Reynolds. She got into foul trouble early, picking up her second just six minutes into the game and her third midway through the second quarter.

NC State clearly had a game plan to go after her in the post, feeding Cunane regularly and trying to get the 6-foot-4 Tar Heels center in foul trouble. It worked. Bailey only played 26 minutes compared to her 40-minute performance in the 66-60 North Carolina victory on Jan. 9.

Bailey fouled out with 3:12 remaining in the fourth quarter after picking up her fourth and fifth fouls less than one minute apart.

Just 44 seconds later, another UNC starter, freshman forward Malu Tshitenge, fouled out of the game to the elation of the home crowd. Tshitenge played 38 minutes in the Chapel Hill game, but just 20 minutes in the Raleigh rematch.

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