NC State women’s basketball made quick work of Pittsburgh in its first road game in February. After a tough home loss to No. 16 Virginia Tech on Thursday, the Pack bounced back to defeat the Panthers 83-47. Senior guard Madison Hayes led all scorers with 16 points.
The No. 3 Wolfpack (21-3, 9-3 ACC) blew past Pitt (7-18, 1-11 ACC) with an excellent team effort — putting up a season-high 23 assists with nine of those coming from freshman guard Zoe Brooks. By halftime, the Pack led by 33 points and had no problem cruising to victory in the last two quarters.
NC State got off to a slower start than the final score suggests, allowing the Panthers to hang around until it went on a 5-0 run to close out the first quarter. Hayes scored eight of the Pack’s 23 points in the quarter.
The second quarter was arguably the Wolfpack’s most dominant of the season. NC State started strong, using the momentum it built at the end of the first quarter to extend its 5-0 run to a 15-0 run. The Pack held the Panthers to 3-15 shooting in the second frame, while shooting an awe-inspiring 81.3% from the field itself to outscore the hosts 30-6 in the quarter and head into the locker room with a 53-20 advantage.
Although she only scored five of those 30 points, junior guard Azaiah James’ contributions shouldn’t be overlooked — she tallied seven of her career-high eight assists in the frame, showcasing her ability to create opportunities for her teammates offensively.
At the start of the second half, the Wolfpack lacked the fire it had in the second quarter.
The Panthers scored 13 points to the red-and-white’s 10 in the third period, but once again, Hayes proved to be a reliable option regardless of downward shifts in the team’s momentum.
The senior guard scored six points and collected four rebounds in an otherwise dismal third period. Against a better team, the Pack’s severe lack of energy could have resulted in a loss, but against one of the conference bottom feeders, it didn’t prove to be an issue. Pitt never came closer than 27 points in the second half.
Despite its concerning third quarter stumble, NC State rebounded to outscore the Panthers 20-14 in the final 10 minutes while allowing some of its newer players to get more experience on the floor than they’d typically see against ACC opponents. Junior forward and Sacramento State transfer Katie Peneueta played six minutes and hit two triples, the most she’s made in a Wolfpack uniform.
The matchup with the Panthers was a breath of fresh air for NC State between two tough, nationally-ranked opponents: Virginia Tech and Notre Dame. However, the Pack will be thrown right back into the fire in its last stretch of ACC games, with two of those six contests being against nationally ranked-opponents.
The Wolfpack will remain on the road for its next contest, where the team is set to take on No. 12 Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 15.
