RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Elissa Cunane had 18 points and six rebounds as No. 5 North Carolina State pulled away from Kansas State for a 90-69 win on Friday night.
Diamond Johnson had 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists for the Wolfpack (4-1), and Raina Perez and Kayla Jones each scored 12 points.
Kansas State center Ayoka Lee, who entered the game as the nation's second-leading scorer, finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds. She had been averaging 29.3 points per game, but the Wolfpack often denied her the ball. Lee did not get to the free-throw line for just the second time in her career.
Serena Sundell led the Wildcats (4-1) with 21 points.
After trailing by two points early in the second quarter, N.C. State built a 10-point advantage by halftime and never trailed in the second half. The Wolfpack pushed their lead to a game-high 23 points in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Wildcats 26-14. Johnson had seven points during that stretch.
BIG PICTURE
Kansas State: The Wildcats found out what happens when an elite defense focuses on Lee, who was held to a season-low 50% shooting. There could be other nights like this when Lee is stifled, and Kansas State will need a better response.
N.C. State: While Cunane is its lone All-American, other players have stepped up for N.C. State. A different player has led the Wolfpack in scoring in each of the team's five games, and the Wolfpack have had multiple double-digit scorers in each game. During N.C. State's 13-6 run to end the second quarter, five different players scored. Opponents are likely to struggle with that sort of depth.
UP NEXT
Kansas State: The Wildcats host Abilene Christian on Tuesday.
N.C. State: On Thanksgiving, the Wolfpack will face No. 3 Maryland in the Bahamas.
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More AP women's college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
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