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No. 15 Vermont women's basketball falls short of historic upset against No. 2 NC State
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- No. 15 Vermont women's basketball falls short of historic upset against No. 2 NC State
No. 15 seeds entered the day 0-122 against 2-seeds. That number quickly became 0-123 after UConn 's dominant win over Arkansas State on Saturday afternoon.
Meanwhile, No. 15 Vermont women's basketball gave No. 2 NC State everything it had, roaring back after getting into an 11-5 hole at the first media timeout. The Catamounts closed out the first quarter on a 8-0 run to get within two points.
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"Our shooters did a great job at responding," graduate student forward Anna Olson said. "We could have just let that lead keep growing and growing but they didn't. They really took open shots."
Vermont's fight continued in the second and third quarter. But the Catamounts (21-13) ran out of gas in the fourth quarter as NC State pulled away to earn a 75-55 win in the first round of the women's NCAA Tournament at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, N.C.
NC State (27-6) will play the winner of No. 7 Michigan State vs No. 10 Harvard in the Round of 32 on Monday.
With Vermont's loss, 15-seeds are now 0-124 against No. 2 seeds in the women's NCAA Tournament.
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"We knew they would hit tough shots, but just making it uncomfortable," head coach Alisa Kresge said. "I think that slowed a little bit of their scoring down and really proud of how they responded when it could have been over from the tip."
The key to Vermont grabbing the lead was Keira Hanson , who came off the bench, and playing team basketball. Sarah Ericson poked the ball away from Madison Hayes and dove to the ground to secure the rebound.
Ericson got up and dished a pass up to Hanson. The junior buried her third 3-pointer of the game, this time in front of the Wolfpack bench, to give Vermont its first lead of the day at 27-24.
Vermont played team basketball racking up six assists in the first half while NC State managed just two as the Catamounts' defense was having its way in containing the Wolfpack. Vermont finished the game with a 13 to 9 advantage in assists. Ericson led the team with four assists. With that team basketball mentality, the Catamounts held a lead for nearly four minutes in the second quarter.
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At halftime the Catamounts only trailed 35-33 after the Wolfpack closed the quarter on a 6-0 run.
"We were hyped," Hanson said. "We were trying to go in with no doubt, so that really helps our confidence."
Hanson had a monster game, showcasing why she deserves a starting role again next season, burying her fifth 3-pointer to bring Vermont within four points late in the third just trailing 50-46. Hanson set a new career-high with 21 points following her mid-range jumper early in the fourth quarter.
The Achilles Heel for Vermont becoming the first 15-seed to beat a 2-seed in the women's NCAA Tournament was the turnovers and lack of size.
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The Catamounts turned the ball over 13 times, allowing NC State to cash in for 12 points. The Wolfpack also used their size to attack the glass, grabbing 18 offensive rebounds and scoring 21 second-chance points.
"Size, physicality hurt us," Kresge said. "I think we left it all out the on line, but they had that second gear that we couldn't match at the end of the game."
The Catamounts did a good job containing NC State's starters outside of Zoe Brooks, who recorded a team-high 19 points. While Aziaha James scored 15 points, the senior only shot 4-of-15 from the field. Still. the Catamounts' defense kept NC State below its season average field goal percentage. The Wolfpack entered the day shooting 44.9% from the field, but against Vermont it only shot 39.1% from the field.
Saniya Rivers contributed a double-double for NC State with 15 points and 12 rebounds.
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Catherine Gilwee (13 points) and Nikola Priede (11 points) joined Hanson as the three Catamounts to score double-digits.
(This story was updated to add new quotes.)
Contact Judith Altneu at jaltneu@gannett.com . Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter: @ Judith_Altneu .
This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Vermont women's basketball season ends in first round of March Madness
