Lorena Awou’s freshman-year growth pays off to help NC State into ACC Tournament title game

GREENSBORO — As Lorena Awou walked off the First Horizon Coliseum court, a familiar phrase echoed rained down on her. It didn’t feel like NC State was playing on a neutral floor as the Wolfpack fans serenaded her with “A-WOOOOO” while she checked out of the game. 

It was a well-earned standing ovation and celebration for the freshman forward, who has risen through the Pack’s depth chart throughout the season, as was integral in top-seeded NC State’s 66-55 win over fifth-seeded North Carolina in the ACC Tournament Semifinals on Saturday afternoon. 

Awou hadn’t played in each of the Pack’s last two games, but stepped up when she was needed. Starting forward Tilda Trygger, another freshman, ended up in foul trouble midway through the third quarter, forcing NC State coach Wes Moore to turn to his bench. 

While he had both sophomore forward Mallory Collier and Awou at his disposal, he looked to the latter first to bring a spark to the Wolfpack’s front court. It worked as she tied her career high with 10 points — her best scoring output since Dec. 8 at Old Dominion — on 4-of-5 shooting to go with four rebounds in 13 minutes. 

“It was really exciting to come off the bench to help my team win the game and move onto the next,” Awou said with a beaming smile in the Wolfpack’s locker room postgame.

But while Awou was ready to impact winning in a crucial stretch for the Wolfpack, squaring off with UNC star forward Maria Gakdeng, an All-ACC Second Team selection, it didn’t just happen overnight. This performance, which helped power NC State to its fifth ACC Tournament title game in the last six years, had been a long time coming for the former No. 5 player in the state of Illinois. 

Growing throughout the season

Awou remembers it vividly. The first time she took part in NC State’s scrimmages over the summer, the speed of the game was quicker than she expected. Her teammates’ size was too. 

The East Moline, Ill., native was used to being the tallest on the floor at 6-foot-5 during her high school career. But at the collegiate level? That’s commonplace. It took time for Awou to get used to the constant summer conditioning and running, while playing those her size — or taller — on a daily basis. 

At first, she thought college basketball was going to be a beast she’d have struggles taming. 

“‘Bro, this is horrible,’” Awou recalled telling herself. “‘I can’t do this.’”

But the more she worked at it, which included the daily conditioning drills inside Reynolds Coliseum, it started to pay off. She got used to the speed of the game, eventually looking like a natural going up and down the floor as the Pack’s star guards flew around making flashy plays left and right. 

While that part of Awou’s development came, the next phase was the mental side of her game. That was a work in progress, even at the beginning of the season as she played rotational minutes at the Wolfpack’s post. 

There were times her shot wouldn’t fall and Awou would grow frustrated with herself. Or if the officials called a foul on her — or didn’t when she was hit going up for a shot in the post — that Awou would let it bother her. She had to find a way to work through it. 

And as time went along, she did. 

Now, it doesn’t matter if her shot misses the mark, if she sits on the bench for nearly the entire game or if the referees don’t give her a call on the offensive end. Awou keeps the same mindset, working to “play through it.” That’s what she tells herself, not to be concerned about what she can’t control, rather just playing to win. 

That new approach has turned Awou from the Pack’s third post option to its primary reserve behind Trygger as it has raced through the season with 22 wins in its last 24 games. 

“In the end, it’s worth it,” Awou said. “It’s so worth going through every single step that was needed to get here.”

Proving it against UNC

Awou was able to give Trygger multiple breathers early in the game, but she picked up three fouls in a two-minute stretch late in the second quarter. The old Awou would let that bother her, but the postseason version didn’t seem to mind. 

That was key when she was reinserted into the lineup with just over six minutes to play and four fouls to her name. Awou, in all honesty, wasn’t worried about her own foul total. She knew Collier and Trygger, who had four fouls on the bench, were ready to take the load the rest of the way should she foul out. 

Instead, Awou was able to be effective without fouling. She used her new mindset that has blossomed throughout the season to not mind what happens outside of her control. And it was effective. Awou played stout defense against Gakdeng inside, while the post was able to help keep NC State’s lead intact down the stretch as UNC tried to press the Pack into turnovers. 

Awou scored via a layup less than 60 seconds after checking in before she had an offensive rebound and putback moments later. She added another layup with just over two minutes to play, extending the Wolfpack’s lead to 13 in the process. 

From then on, it was all about playing smart defense, which is exactly what Awou did. 

“That’s seeing her hard work pay off,” Trygger said of Awou. “Coach Moore has the confidence in her to put her in this situation. She’s a freshman, so what she does, it’s amazing.”

Awou was able to exit her afternoon on the floor to the Wolfpack faithful showing their appreciation for her. She enjoys hearing her last name with the added emphasis on the final syllable each game, but doing so in the ACC Tournament seemed to have a tad more juice to it. 

Now, as the Pack looks to claim its fourth ACC Championship in the last half-dozen years, Awou will be a key piece to NC State’s bench in the process. She already knew she was capable of making this impact, despite having inconsistent minutes at points this season, but Awou’s game against the Tar Heels just seemed to cement it moving forward in the postseason. 

“Not to be like that, but I’ve always had confidence in myself,” Awou said. “There’s still stuff I need to improve on, obviously, but I felt like I’ve had good confidence coming in.”

That confidence is paying off now. And the Pack has a chance to make a deep run in March with a backup post like Awou ready to go whenever her number is called.