No. 13 NC State women’s basketball took down No. 20 Georgia Tech 83-68 Thursday night in Atlanta, staving off a late-game flurry from the Yellow Jackets. Last time out, the Wolfpack gave up a late lead against UNC-Chapel Hill but didn’t make the same mistake a few days later.
The Wolfpack’s (21-5, 13-2 ACC) efficient shooting allowed it to secure a double-digit win over the top 20 Yellow Jackets (21-6, 9-6 ACC). The Pack shot 53% from the field and 40% from 3. The rifling hot offense was too much for the Yellow Jackets despite guard Tonie Morgan’s 17-point performance.
The Wolfpack started the game splashing 3s with senior guard Aziaha James ripping the nets with two early triples in the first quarter, pushing the Pack to a 21-15 lead at the end of the first.
James entered the contest averaging 24.3 points per game in her last three games, including a career-high 36 points against then-No. 10 Duke. James has been on an absolute heater, and she started the game off hot, scoring eight points and dishing out two assists in the first quarter. She is the clear leader of the Wolfpack offense when on the court.
James had the Georgia Tech defense’s attention all night, allowing other players on NC State to strut their stuff.
Sophomore guard Zoe Brooks was one of the beneficiaries. Brooks torched the Georgia Tech defense from the midrange, using her shifty playstyle to get any jump shot she wanted. Brooks finished the game with 17 points on 7-15 shooting and snagged five boards and two assists to round out her solid performance.
Brooks and James weren’t the only players who got theirs against Georgia Tech. Senior guard Saniya Rivers was baseline to baseline, impacting the game in every aspect. Rivers was the core of the offense in the second half, posting 12 points and five assists in the final 20 minutes. Rivers shut the casket on Georgia Tech, going 5-7 in the second half and creating offense every time she caught the ball.
The Yellow Jackets went on an offensive surge to take the lead against the Wolfpack 53-52 in the third quarter, but it wasn’t long before NC State reclaimed the lead. The Wolfpack led 69-53 but soon found itself only up by eight after a 6-0 Georgia Tech run to bring the score to 71-63. The Wolfpack suffered a scoring drought with only two points in the last three minutes and 30 seconds. The Wolfpack needed to stop the bleeding to prevent another late-game comeback.
With 6:37 left on the clock, a Georgia Tech turnover fell into the hands of Rivers and she accelerated down the court. Rivers floated in an easy transition bucket and extended the Wolfpack lead back to double digits. Rivers finished the game with 16 points, seven rebounds and eight assists.
NC State’s defense locked in at the end, only allowing five points after the Rivers breakaway layup, and crushing any comeback chances.
Next, the Pack will host No. 1 Notre Dame and College Gameday in Reynolds Coliseum on Sunday. Tip-off is set for noon.
