Wake Forest University
North Carolina State
NC State Trips Deacons in Overtime, 65-63
2/17/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 17, 2009
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WINSTON-SALEM, NC - North Carolina State's Nikitta Gartrell hit a three-point field goal with 6.3 seconds left in overtime to lift the Wolfpack to a 65-63 win over Wake Forest Tuesday night at the Lawrence Joel Coliseum.
Gartrell, who finished with a game-high 22 points, made her last four field goal attempts, each one a dagger in the heart of the Demon Deacons.
Wake Forest (18-7, 5-6 ACC) held a 53-51 lead with time running out when freshman guard Brooke Thomas went to the line with 9.7 seconds remaining in regulation. Thomas hit her first free throw to give the Deacons a 54-51 lead. She missed the second and Gartrell banked in a long three-pointer with 1.9 seconds remaining to force overtime.
NC State (12-14, 4-7 ACC) took a 57-54 lead before Courteney Morris tied the game with a three-pointer with 3:49 to play. Gartrell drilled another triple with 3:19 remaining to give the Wolfpack a 60-57 advantage. Another long field goal by Gartrell gave NC State a 62-57 lead with 1:58 remaining.
Alex Tchangoue drilled a three from the left corner to pull Wake Forest within two with 1:48 remaining. Tchangoue hit another trey with 1:03 to play that put the Deacs ahead 63-62.
But Gartrell had one more shot and her three-pointer with 6.3 seconds remaining gave NC State the 65-63 win.
Wake Forest led 27-25 at halftime behind the strong play of center Sarah Riddle. With Corinne Groves sidelined for a third consecutive game with an illness, Riddle scored eight of her career-high 15 points in the first half. Riddle also finished with career-bests in minutes played (38), and field goals made (6) and tied her career-high with six rebounds.
Gartrell led all scorers with a career-high 22 points on eight of 11 shooting from the floor. She made all four of her three-point field goal attempts. Shayla Fields added 15 points for the Wolfpack and Sharnise Beal chipped in with 14. Lucy Ellison led NC State with eight rebounds.
Joining Riddle in double figures for Wake Forest was Tchangoue with 12 points and Morris with 11. Freshman Secily Ray led all players with nine rebounds.
Wake Forest will travel to Virginia Tech to meet the Hokies on Sunday, Feb. 22 at 2 p.m.
NC State will host North Carolina on Monday, Feb. 23 at 7 p.m.
