It might not be optimal for the blood pressure of Wolfpack Nation, but No. 12 NC State women’s basketball has proven over the past two face-offs it can win tight games. The Pack found itself down 50-48 in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter but then went on a 27-7 run to secure the 75-57 win over Wake Forest.
“There’s going to be pressure when we go over to Greensboro,” said head coach Wes Moore. “There’s going to be pressure in the NCAA Tournament. Got to be able to step up and handle it. I’m proud of them. They were able to do that in the fourth quarter.”
With the win over the Demon Deacons (6-24, 2-16 ACC), the Wolfpack (25-5, 13-5 ACC) claimed the No. 2 seed in the ACC. Junior guard Saniya Rivers once again led NC State with 23 points to go along with four assists, three blocks and four steals. It’s Rivers’ sixth-straight double-digit scoring performance and her second-straight 20-point game.
Just like she did against Syracuse, Rivers stepped up in clutch time, scoring eight points on perfect shooting in the fourth quarter. The junior guard is on top of her game at the most important time of the year.
“She’s doing it all and you got to give her a lot of credit for being an all-around player,” Moore said. “We got a lot of people that on any given day that can step up and carry us, but at the same time, Saniya has been somebody pretty consistent for us.”
Not only was the Wolfpack playing for the two seed but it desperately wanted the win to honor its seniors. Graduate forward Mimi Collins, graduate center River Baldwin and senior guard Madison Hayes were all honored before the game as part of Senior Day.
“Today, it’s a happy, sad day,” Rivers said. “This is their last regular season game, and it hurts because they also play a big role on our team, and I hate to see them go, but I wish them the best in the future. But right now they have a lot of more work to do to get us this [National Championship] that we’re going for.”
Although honored, Hayes announced before the game she will be returning next season. Hayes only had three points, but there’s no doubt she will be a major part of the team for the rest of the season and going forward.
Along with Rivers, Collins poured in eight points in the fourth quarter, including two 3-pointers that blew the roof off Reynolds Coliseum. Collins ended the game with 18 points and nine rebounds, continuing to prove how important she is to the Wolfpack’s success in her final season.
NC State wouldn’t have needed the performances from Collins and Rivers in the fourth quarter if it didn’t fall apart in the third. After giving up just 16 points in the first half, the Demon Deacons scored 31 in the third frame. They got whatever they wanted, whether it was easy buckets in the paint or wide-open 3-pointers.
The defensive meltdown in the third quarter did not end up costing NC State but it will need to play consistently if it wants to make it far in the postseason.
Apart from the third quarter, the Wolfpack defense suffocated the Demon Deacons. The Deacons scored just four points in the first quarter and made only six field goals in the first half. NC State wasn’t much better offensively which allowed Wake Forest to hang around and make it competitive near the end.
“I thought the first half, we set the game back about 20 years,” Moore said. “Felt sorry for our fans that were here, glad it wasn’t on TV.”
With NC State officially the No. 2 seed in the ACC Tournament, the Wolfpack jumped six spots from its preseason ranking of eighth in the conference. It’s tied for the largest jump in ACC women’s basketball history and the first time a team has jumped six spots to No. 2.
Next, the Wolfpack will patiently wait to find out its opponent in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament. NC State’s quarterfinal game will be Friday, March 8, at 5 p.m.
