Robert Morris-N.C. State Preview

3/16/2007 5:59 PM

By ANDY LEFKOWITZ
STATS Editor

Heading into her 10th NCAA tournament appearance in 12 seasons, North Carolina State coach Kay Yow has had to endure a recurrence of breast cancer and the death of her father. Her reward will be staying close to home.

Yow leads the fourth-seeded Wolfpack against No. 13 seed Robert Morris at Raleigh's RBC Center on Sunday in the opening round of the Fresno Regional.

"She doesn't have to travel but a few minutes down the road," Wolfpack senior guard Ashley Key said. "She gets to rest and she'll have a lot of fans behind her."

Yow, who earned her 700th career win earlier this season, was philosophical despite her recent troubles.

"If a person lives long enough, it's inevitable you're going to go through some tough times in life," she said Monday night. "You can't change the direction of the wind, but you can adjust your sail."

Her father, Hilton Yow, died Monday at 87 after being in and out of hospitals in recent weeks with congestive heart failure.

"I have zero control over my dad's death, but I have 100 percent control of how I'll respond to it," she said. "I know that about everything: my cancer, my dad, the team loses, the team wins."

Yow missed 16 games earlier this season to undergo chemotherapy, and will continue treatment during the tourney. Since her return to the sidelines, though, the Wolfpack (23-9) had two five-game winning streaks in a 12-game span.

But after getting off to an early 11-point lead in the ACC tournament title game on March 4 against North Carolina, the Wolfpack lost 72-65.

Khadijah Whittington only scored eight points on 3-of-9 shooting from the field, but also had 13 rebounds, four blocks and four steals. The junior forward averages team highs of 10.2 points and 10.6 rebounds, and leads the Wolfpack with 58 steals and 44 blocks.

Only two players scored in double digits in the loss - Key had 14 points with seven assists and sophomore guard Shayla Fields scored 12.

"You can't hit a wall emotionally when you've got coach Yow next to you," said Key, who averages a team-high 3.2 assists. "We just didn't come out with a win today, but emotionally we're still there."

Robert Morris (24-7) enters its first NCAA tournament on an eight-game winning streak. Junior forward Chinata Nesbitt earned Northeast Conference tournament MVP honors after scoring 28 points in a 68-66 win over Sacred Heart in last Saturday's final.

Nesbitt and senior forward-center Sugeiry Monsac are the Colonials' two best players, having combined this season for 35.2 points and 19.8 rebounds per game. Senior guard Jenna Burkett provides an outside shooting threat, having made 75 of her school-record 202 3-pointers this season.

Robert Morris averages 74.2 points compared to 66.0 for N.C. State.

The winner will take on fifth-seeded Baylor or No. 12 seed Chattanooga in the second round on Tuesday.