No. 4 NC State routs Elon in last tuneup before ACC opener

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Elissa Cunane had 22 points and 13 rebound in three quarters in No. 4 North Carolina State’s 76-47 victory over Elon on Wednesday night.

Cunane was 9 for 11 from the field for N.C. State (5-0). Kayla Jones and Jakia Brown-Turner each added 12 points.

The Wolfpack used a 10-0 second-quarter spurt for a 31-20 lead. N.C. State scored 13 points in the last three minutes of the first half for a 44-28 edge at the break.

Brie Perpignan had 11 points for Elon (2-1). It has faced an in-state opponent on the road in each of its games.

Cunane had 11 points by early in the second quarter, helping combat the impact of N.C. State’s eight first-quarter turnovers. N.C. State shot 55.6% in the first half, with Elon at 31.3%

The Wolfpack played their second game in a row without senior point guard Kai Crutchfield. She injured a foot in last week’s upset at then-No. 1 South Carolina.

BIG PICTURE

Elon: Early success on offense faded for the Phoenix. They shot 27.9% from the field.

N.C. State: The Wolfpack haves won 40 consecutive nonconference home games. This is the third year in a row that N.C. State has completed non-league play without a loss.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

N.C. State, which rose from the No. 8 spot in this week’s poll, has been ranked as high as No. 4 in back-to-back seasons. This result should allow the Wolfpack to maintain that status.

UP NEXT

Elon: Host Furman on Sunday.

N.C. State: At Boston College on Sunday.

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