All good things must come to an end.
For No. 2 seed NC State women’s basketball, the road stopped at the Sweet 16, falling 80-73 to No. 3 seed LSU for the second time this season. The loss ends the collegiate careers of the Wolfpack’s beloved trio — senior guards Aziaha James and Saniya Rivers and graduate guard Madison Hayes.
It was a tough ending for three of the Wolfpack’s most accomplished players as they combined for just 29 points and a combined 29.6% from the field. James and Hayes nearly fouled out of their final game with four fouls each as they struggled to contain LSU’s aggressive offense.
NC State looked uncharacteristic from the tipoff. Though Rivers opened the game with a steal that led to a Hayes 3-pointer, it was downhill from there. LSU commanded the first quarter, outscoring the Wolfpack 23-15 and grabbing 16 boards to the red-and-white’s nine. The Wolfpack tried to recreate its record-setting performance in the second round against Michigan State, where it made 15 3-pointers, but made just three of its 10 attempts from beyond the arc in the opening 10 minutes.
Needing to switch up his rotation, head coach Wes Moore went to the bench for a sparkplug — freshman guard Zamareya Jones. The rookie gave Wolfpack fans a taste of the future, scoring 11 points with three 3-pointers. The offensive onslaught was exactly what the red-and-white needed, rallying behind Jones for a 25-point second quarter, taking a 40-36 lead at halftime.
But like it did last season in its Final Four loss against South Carolina, the Wolfpack gave up control in the third quarter. After seeming like it regained its footing at the end of the first half, NC State’s offense fell apart, scoring just 13 points while shooting 36% from the field in the third. LSU took full advantage of the slump as the Tigers scored 21 points to take back the lead.
NC State’s freshmen bigs — forward Tilda Trygger and center Lorena Awou — couldn’t do anything to slow down LSU’s dominant paint attack. Furthermore, they couldn’t do anything to help create movement on the offensive end, combining for just two points.
Moore went to sophomore forward Maddie Cox to try and stop the bleeding, a bold choice given that Cox had made just five shots all season. But ignoring the regular season, Cox stepped up to the task as she confidently made her first postseason shot attempt — a corner 3. She then hit a layup and yet another 3-pointer, shooting 100% from the field and giving NC State the boost it needed.
With NC State’s graduating trio unable to score, sophomore guard Zoe Brooks took over in the fourth quarter with 11 points. Time and time again, Brooks confidently drove to the basket for a much-needed Wolfpack bucket, highlighted by an and-1 layup. The play caused Brooks to emphatically yell in celebration — a rare show of emotion for a usually calm, composed scorer.
But Brooks’ fourth-quarter heroics weren’t enough as LSU ended the quarter on a 10-0 run led by Mikaylah Williams, who scored 10 points in the fourth quarter. As the clock ran out, the dismayed look on the Wolfpack’s face said it all — the dream was over.
In the end, it was rebounding that buried the Wolfpack. LSU grabbed 52 rebounds — 18 of which on the offensive end — and completely commanded the glass as NC State grabbed just 36 boards. LSU’s Aneesah Morrow thrived in the paint, recording 30 points and 19 rebounds, proving to be NC State’s kryptonite.
Between Jones’ scoring onslaught in the second quarter and Brooks’ takeover in the fourth, the future of NC State’s guards is bright. But NC State fans won’t forget the unimaginable impact that James, Rivers and Hayes had on the program.
