No. 2 NC State rolls over Pitt 89-54 in ACC opener

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Raina Perez and Camille Hobby scored 15 points each to lead No. 2 North Carolina State over Pittsburgh 89-54 Friday night in the ACC opener for both teams.

Perez made three 3-pointers, and the Wolfpack shot 47% from beyond the arc. Hobby scored all of her points in 12 minutes.

NC State (9-1) has won nine straight since opening the season with a loss to top-ranked South Carolina.

Diamond Johnson scored 10 points for the Wolfpack. Elissa Cunane finished with nine points and 12 rebounds as NC State held a 51-37 advantage on the boards.

Jayla Everett scored 13 points and Destiny Strother added 10 for Pitt (8-3), which had its three-game winning streak end. The Panthers shot just 31%.

NC State took control early, scoring the first five points and widening its lead to 22-10 by the end of the first quarter. Perez finished the period by banking in a 3-pointer from just beyond midcourt.

The Wolfpack scored the first eight points of the second quarter to make it 30-10 and cruised to a 42-23 halftime advantage.

Perez scored 13 points in the first half, including making 3 of 6 shots from deep. North Carolina State shot 56% from beyond the arc in the first two quarters, making 10 of 18 attempts.

Everett had 11 first-half points.

The onslaught continued in the third quarter, when NC State outscored Pitt 24-10 to stretch the lead to 66-33.

BIG PICTURE

North Carolina State: The Wolfpack’s average margin of victory during their winning streak is 28.4 points. No. 10 Indiana is the only team to stay within single digits in that span, losing 66-58.

Pittsburgh: The Panthers have made significant progress after going 21-60 in Lance White’s first three seasons as coach. However, Pitt is 0-2 against power conference opponents this season. Their other loss was to Texas A&M.

UP NEXT

North Carolina State: Hosts Saint Mary’s on Sunday

Pittsburgh: Visits No. 22 Notre Dame on Dec. 19

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