N.C. State's Lewis Earns Milestone

Senior night in Reynolds Coliseum belonged to her.

Lewis posted her second triple-double to propel the No. 19 Wolfpack past the Tar Heels -- a feat that no other man or woman has accomplished at N.C. State.

"To go without one for over 50 years in men's basketball and 25 years in women's - it's an incredible feat," Wolfpack coach Kay Yow said.

Lewis achieved the school's first triple-double in her debut as point guard Jan. 29 against Florida State.

"It means I have a great supporting cast," Lewis said. "They do a good job of making me look great."

Lewis said she couldn't sleep Tuesday night because she was anxious to play the Tar Heels.

And despite the fact that she was up late worrying, she did look great.

Lewis scored 25 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out 10 assists against UNC.

"It goes all the way back to high school with me and Carolina," Lewis said. "Anytime that Carolina steps on the floor with us, we're excited to play them."

Lewis' desire to thrash UNC became painfully obvious to the Tar Heels in the second half when she erupted and scored 20 of her 25 points. The rest of the Wolfpack followed suit and put UNC away.

"Tia's taught us that we all need to step up," forward Carisse Moody said. "All of us have a role."

Lewis' role on the court was apparent to Yow before she was even an upperclassman - in high school.

The first time Yow saw Lewis perform on the court, she saw immense potential. Lewis was a freshman at Southwest Edgecombe High School in Macclesfield, and Yow was scouting juniors and seniors at the beginning of North Carolina's state playoffs. It didn't take long for Lewis' ball-handling skills to catch Yow's eye.

"I really didn't know about her at all because she was just a freshman," Yow said. "But I watched her play and I thought, 'That's the best player here.'

"Right then, we started tracking Tynesha."

Yow never had any doubt that Lewis would fulfill her potential at the collegiate level. Lewis has done nothing but prove her coach right.

N.C. State's seven-game winning streak is largely due to Lewis' stunning performances. She has posted 14 points, seven rebounds and almost six assists per game during the streak.

"The better I feel about our game, the better I play," Lewis said. "And I'm feeling really confident about our game right now."

N.C. State hopes to continue its ACC-best winning streak into the postseason.

For now though, Lewis and her senior teammates will enjoy their shining moment against the Tar Heels.

"We couldn't have written a better ending," Yow said.

After the game, as Lewis playfully counted all of her Senior Night roses and listened to thousands of Wolfpack fans chant her name, it looked as if she agreed.

The Sports Editor can be reached at sports@unc.edu.