NC State women overcome double-digit deficit to beat Notre Dame, return to Elite Eight after 24-year absence

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — We might have a new Cardiac Pack on our hands.

NC State’s women’s basketball team ended Saturday’s Sweet 16 game against Notre Dame on a 15-4 run after trailing the entire second half to get the 66-63 victory and its first trip to the Elite Eight since 1998.

“It’s a hump that we had to get over,” Wolfpack senior Kai Crutchfield told ESPN after the game. “The girls are determined, I’m determined and we made it happen.”

Crutchfield’s defense and hot shooting kept the Pack within striking distance throughout the second half of the all-ACC showdown. 

NC State (32-3) went on a 7-0 run in the last 1:23, forcing 16 turnovers in the game with the definitive steal coming as 18 seconds remained on the clock and Raina Perez got her hand on a Dara Mabrey dribble, turned it over and took it to the hoop to give the Pack a 64-63 lead.

NC State got a stop on the Fighting Irish’s next possession, Perez got the rebound, was fouled, and made both free throws for the final score.

No. 5 seed Notre Dame (24-9) looked dominant throughout, leading most of the game behind the stellar play of freshman Olivia Miles, who finished with a game-high 21 points. 

Up next for top-seeded NC State is the winner of Saturday afternoon’s UConn-Indiana game.

Here are takeaways from the Wolfpack’s win over the Irish.

‘Defense is all about heart’

“I knew we were down, I knew we needed a steal, I just locked in,” Perez told ESPN after her steal and layup gave the Wolfpack their first lead in the closing seconds of Saturday’s game.

“Defense is all about heart.”

Crutchfield’s four steals were huge for the Wolfpack, turning around a game that looked as if it were slipping away. She also hit a pair of 3-pointers and finished with 14 points — six more than her season average — as NC State fought back from a double-digit deficit.

The Wolfpack scored 22 points off turnovers with 12 steals in the game.

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Olivia Miles goes off

Notre Dame’s freshman guard was doing it all in the first half, from driving-scoop layups, to long-range triples to smooth dishes for assists. 

Miles put up 15 points on 60% shooting while hitting 3 of 5 3-pointers in the first half, reading and reacting to the Wolfpack’s defense almost flawlessly as the Irish turned a four-point deficit at the end of the first quarter into an eight-point lead at halftime.

Elissa Cunane comes through

One place where scoring was consistent for NC State’s, which shot 40% compared to an average of 47% that ranks fifth in the nation, was the post. That’s where Elissa Cunane notched a team-high 16 points on 50% shooting and made 6 of 7 free throws.

Cunane played 36 minutes Saturday, more minutes than any teammate besides Crutchfield, and the Pack needed every second. The All-American’s poise, decision-making and ability to score and defend were vital to beating Notre Dame.

Elite again

NC State is now 2-13 in Sweet 16 games, going to the Elite Eight for the first time since Kay Yow’s squad reached the Final Four in 1998.

To get there, the Wolfpack defeated UConn, which will be NC State’s next opponent Monday after the No. 2 Huskies defeated No. 3 Indiana 75-58 on Saturday afternoon  

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