In an opportunity to mark a key win against a ranked conference opponent, No. 21 NC State women’s basketball fell just short against No. 24 California in a 78-71 loss. The defeat broke a seven-game win streak and pushed the Pack to just a 1-3 record against ranked opponents, with its one win coming in its only ranked home matchup against then-No. 18 Ole Miss.
Unlike its previous ranked losses, NC State (11-4, 3-1 ACC) got hot early, leading 20-14 after the first 10 minutes. But California (15-2, 3-1 ACC) stormed back and gathered the advantage again. The Wolfpack failed to recover, unable to retake the lead for the rest of the game.
With the absence of freshman guard Zamareya Jones, the Wolfpack heavily relied on its starters as they each played 34 or more minutes, resulting in just two points off the bench. Exhaustion combined with jet lag from unfamiliar travel to the West Coast seemingly doomed the red-and-white from the beginning.
As with all four of its losses, NC State was outrebounded and outassisted. NC State is undefeated when leading in both statistics, but just 2-4 when losing either metric, its two wins coming in a one point victory over Davidson and a four point victory over Clemson. Rebounds and assists are crucial when it comes to the success of the Wolfpack as players have reiterated that the team is most fluid when the ball is shared.
Two-thirds of the Wolfpack’s assists came from sophomore guard Zoe Brooks as she continues to stand out as a playmaker in head coach Wes Moore’s four-guard lineup, averaging 6.5 assists over her last four games. Brooks finished with 14 points and nine assists, falling just one short of her second-straight double-double.
Senior guard Aziaha James led all scorers with 21 points, her sixth 20-point game of the season. In her first game since finding herself on the Wooden Award midseason top 25 list, James proved why she is one of the premier guards in the country and the focal point of the Wolfpack offense.
After months of questions and debates about the five position, Moore seems to have finally found the answer in freshman forward Tilda Trygger. In just her third start, Trygger played a career-high 34 minutes. She responded with 19 points — including a team-high four 3-pointers — and 10 rebounds, marking her first collegiate double-double.
Though she has shared minutes with freshman center Lorena Awou and sophomore center Mallory Collier, Moore placed full trust in Trygger after Awou and Collier combined for just six minutes on the court. Unlike those aforementioned, Trygger’s ability to knock down long-range shots helps stretch the floor on offense and provides another threat for opposing defenses to worry about.
The loss is a minor setback in the Wolfpack’s quest for its second-straight ACC Championship appearance, but can’t afford to falter again. NC State needs to find a way to get quality ranked wins outside of Reynolds Coliseum.
The Wolfpack remains on the West Coast to play Stanford on Sunday. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. on ESPN.
