RALEIGH, N.C. – Kara Dunn hit a three-pointer as time expired in regulation to force overtime at No. 6 NC State on Sunday, but the Wolfpack outlasted the Yellow Jackets in the extra period to narrowly escape with the win, 86-85. Dunn finished with a game-high 31 points followed by 23 from Tonie Morgan and 16 from Kayla Blackshear.
The Jackets shot an impressive 63.0 percent in the first half, allowing Tech to lead by as many as eight points in the second quarter. Behind five three-pointers in the second period, including two from Rusne Augustinaite, Tech kept a close hold on the Wolfpack. After Augustinaite’s second triple in the half, NC State closed the quarter with a 9-0 run, capped by a triple at the buzzer, to hold the narrow lead, 42-41, at halftime. Dunn, who scored 12 points in the opening period, owned 15 at intermission to lead the Jackets.
NC State held the lead in the third until Tech strung together a 9-0 run fueled by four points from Inés Noguero for a 58-53 edge with 1:30 to play in the period. Tech carried a three-point advantage into a grueling fourth quarter as the teams tossed the lead back-and-forth down the stretch. Trailing by two, 70-68, Morgan knotted the score with a jumper and converted an old-fashioned three-point play in the next possession, setting up a 73-70 Georgia Tech lead with 2:38 to play. NC State answered with six unanswered to hold a 76-73 lead with 4.2 ticks on the clock, but Dunn forced overtime nailing a three-pointer as time expired.
The Wolfpack took it inside in overtime and opened an 86-80 lead before Blackshear hit a pair of free throws and Dunn launched a desperate three-pointer that rolled in with 46.7 to play for an 86-85 tally. NC State missed its next attempt and the Jackets pulled down the rebound, setting up a game-winning opportunity. Morgan attempted a jumper, but it came up short as time expired.
Dunn led all scorers with her second 30-plus point game this season. For the game, Tech shot 51.6 percent from the field and hit 11 three-pointers for a season-high this season. Dunn hit seven of those triples for a career-best.
NC State was led offensively by Aziaha James with 30 points. The Wolfpack won the battle on the glass, 40-30, including a 13-5 edge in offensive boards. NCSU converted 5-of-7 attempts from the field in the overtime period for a 71.4 percent efficiency to take the win.
The Yellow Jackets closed out this two-game road swing and return to action with their final two regular season home games next week. Tech opens the two-game homestand welcoming Louisville on Thursday, Feb. 22. Tip is slated for 6 p.m. on ACC Network.
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The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of the development of Yellow Jackets that thrive academically at the Institute and compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes. To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.
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