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UConn ends N.C. State’s spirited run

North Carolina State coach Kay Yow was an inspiration to her players this season. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Josh Dubow Associated Press
North Carolina State coach Kay Yow was an inspiration to her players this season. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

FRESNO, Calif. – Charde Houston and Tina Charles sent Connecticut on another second-half surge that ended North Carolina State’s emotion-fueled run through the NCAA tournament.

Houston scored 18 points and Charles added 17 to help the top-seeded Huskies take control early in the second half before they held on for a 78-71 victory over the fourth-seeded Wolfpack on Saturday night that ended coach Kay Yow’s inspiring season.

North Carolina State got off to a fast start and had the Huskies so frustrated heading into the half that coach Geno Auriemma shoved one of his assistant coaches at the end of the half while arguing with the officials.

But then Houston and Charles took control early in the second half to send the Huskies (32-3) into Monday night’s Fresno Regional final against third-seeded LSU (29-7).

The loss ended N.C. State’s remarkable run since Yow’s return from cancer treatment in late January. The Wolfpack (25-10) had won 12 of 14 games to advance to their first regional semifinal since 2001, but lost for the 10th time in 11 trips to this round under their Hall of Fame coach.

“I’m so proud of this team,” Yow said. “They lost tonight, but they put their heart and soul and everything into every game I’ve been around in. I couldn’t be more proud of them. I wish they could have won tonight, but in the loss I’m really proud of everything they did.”

Yow got hugs from the Huskies after the game and waved to the crowd that cheered her as she walked off the court following a postgame interview.

UConn trailed at the half for the second-straight game, but took control with a quick run just like the Huskies did in the second round against Wisconsin-Green Bay when a 14-2 run overcame a two-point deficit and sent UConn to a 94-70 victory.

Charles scored the first two baskets of the half as the Huskies scored the first eight points to go up 44-37. Houston took over from there, scoring nine points in a five-minute span.

After a timeout, Shayla Fields hit a pair of 3-pointers during an 8-0 run for N.C. State that cut the lead to 61-58 with 7:44 to go. But the Wolfpack couldn’t get any closer.

Kalana Greene added 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Huskies. Montgomery had 12 points and eight assists as UConn won for the 18th time in 19 games.

Marquetta Dickens led N.C. State with 14 points.

Yow took a 16-game leave earlier this season to undergo treatment for a recurrence of her Stage 4 breast cancer. She has been coaching despite undergoing nearly weekly chemotherapy sessions that seriously weakened her, but her players say her strength has been their inspiration even though she struggled at times to get out of her chair to argue with the officials or yell instructions to her players.

This season’s success is one of many milestones in her 36-year career, including the last 32 at N.C. State. She has won an Olympic gold medal as a coach in 1988, four ACC tournament championships, and made 20 appearances in the NCAA tournament.