No. 4 N.C. State gets share of ACC title in rout of Syracuse

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Kayla Jones scored a season-high 18 points and No. 5 North Carolina State clinched a share of the ACC regular season conference title for the first time since 1990 with a 95-53 win over Syracuse on Sunday.

Jakia Brown-Turner added 14 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Wolfpack (25-3, 16-1 ACC). Elissa Cunane had 14 points and nine rebounds.

N.C. State ran away from Syracuse early by jumping out to a 28-6 lead in the first quarter. Jones had eight points in that span.

Syracuse sliced the deficit down to 12 points with an 11-0 run in the second quarter – a stretch in which Chrislyn Carr and Teisha Hyman scored all the Orange’s points – but Syracuse never threatened to tie the game up. N.C. State grew its lead to as much as 45 points in the fourth quarter.

Carr finished with 14 points and Naje Murray and Hyman each had 12 for Syracuse (11-15, 4-12).

Key to N.C. State’s victory was its perimeter defense and overall excellence inside. The Wolfpack held Syracuse to 25.7% shooting from behind the arc, and outscored the Orange 62-16 in the paint while also outrebounding them 59-25.

BIG PICTURE

N.C. State: In addition to securing at least a share of its first regular season crown in 32 years, N.C. State also locked up the top seed in the upcoming ACC Tournament. The No. 1 seed will give the Wolfpack a double-bye. N.C. State has won the past two ACC Tournaments.

Syracuse: The loss to the Wolfpack was Syracuse’s third straight, and its 11th in its past 14 games. The thing that the Orange are particularly good at this year is free throw shooting – entering this game with the nation’s third-best mark at 80.6%. But the Wolfpack didn’t allow Syracuse to get there often. Syracuse made 4 of 4 free throws, which is tied for the second-least amount of free throws the Orange have taken this season.

UP NEXT

N.C. State: The Wolfpack will conclude their regular season on Feb. 27 at Virginia Tech.

Syracuse: Wake Forest will host the Orange on Thursday.

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