NC State Basketball
#3 NC State Falls to #13 Virginia Tech on a Buzzer Beater 62-63: BOX SCORE (with notes)
#3 NC State (14-1) lost their first game of the 2023-24 season, falling to #13 Virginia Tech 62-63 on a buzzer beater.
🚨🚨🚨 Cayla King with an incredible pass to Elizabeth Kitley for the game winner. @HokiesWBB @theACCDN @cpisecurity pic.twitter.com/9L2HQtWW0C
— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) January 7, 2024
You definitely could’ve called a moving screen under the basket on the winning play.
But I’m not surprised it wasn’t called. pic.twitter.com/12Mo5CH3OW
— Ethan McDowell (@ethanmmcdowell) January 7, 2024
Junior Saniya Rivers scored with 2 seconds left on the clock to put the Pack up by 1 point, but the Hokies made a perfect inbound pass to Elizabeth Kitley, who made a layup with the clock expiring.
Below is the Box Score, with notes underneath.
The Wolfpack was without River Baldwin, and Head Coach Wes Moore said she could be out a couple of weeks with an ankle injury. Her absence was felt in big way. Baldwin is NC State’s best post player, and definitely the best defensive option against the Hokies’ Elizabeth Kitley, who posted a massive double-double of 27 points and 12 rebounds.
Senior Madison Hayes scored 21 points, which was a season high for her. She also had a team high 9 rebounds.
Rivers was the only other player in double figures, scoring 12 points. It wasn’t a good shooting night for the Rivers though, making 5 of her 15 shots.
Freshman Zoe Brooks led the Pack with 5 assists.
The Wolfpack will return home this Thursday, hosting Virginia in Reynolds Coliseum at 7pm on ACCNX.
According to reports, NC State is adding UMASS’ Brett Nelson as an Assistant Coach.
Sources: Brett Nelson is leaving UMass to join Kevin Keatts’ staff at NC State as an assistant.
Matt Figger — who worked for Frank Martin at both South Carolina and Kansas State — will replace Nelson in Amherst.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) May 15, 2024
Nelson was only at UMASS for 1 season under Frank Martin. Prior to that, Nelson was the Head Coach at Holy Cross for 4 seasons, posting a 27-84 record.
Prior to taking the Head Coaching mantle at Holy Cross, Nelson was at Marquette for 5 seasons, spending the first 3 as an Assistant Coach, and the final two as an Associate Head Coach. Prior to Marquette, Nelson also served as an Assistant Coach at Ball St., Drake, Arkansas and Marshall.
Before coaching basketball, Nelson played for the University of Florida from 1999-2003. He was All-SEC twice, and earned Third Team All-American honors. When he left Gainesville, he was the Gators’ all-time leader in three pointers made, and ranked 2nd in steals.
As a Senior in High School, Nelson was a McDonald’s All-American.
Power Forward Ernest Ross announced this morning that he is returning to NC State for his final year of eligibility.
View this post on Instagram
Last Friday, Ross committed to UTSA after entering the Transfer Portal on April 17th, but it looks like he had a change of heart over the past couple of days.
NC State has been in desperate need to add a Big out of the Portal. They have hosted ECU’s Ezra Ausar and Georgia’s Frank Anselem-Ibe, but neither of them have found a home yet. With the addition of Ross, NC State has added depth in the Frontcourt, and unless something changes, their roster is full with 13 scholarship players.
Ross played in 14 games this past season, averaging 3.4 minutes per contest. After playing in 34 games last season, averaging 11.4 minutes per contest, Ross saw his participation dip to a career low this season, but that didn’t for a second break his infectious personality. On the sideline, you could count on Ross every single game to be the heart and soul of the Wolfpack on the bench. To watch a player who played as little as he did, care as much as he did, makes me super proud that this young man represented NC State so well.
Ross was a consensus 4-star player in NC State’s 2021 recruiting class, with 247Sports ranking him as the #60 overall player nationally. ESPN ranked him as the #5 overall player in the state of Florida.
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