NC State women’s basketball defeated the Duke Blue Devils 72-57 on Sunday afternoon in Reynolds Coliseum. 

After a humbling loss earlier this week to Miami, NC State (16-2, 4-2 ACC) responded in a big way with big days from many of its veteran leaders. Using strong performances on both sides of the ball, the Pack grabbed an early lead and did not look back. 

Duke (12-6, 4-3 ACC) slowed down the Pack’s offensive attack at times. However, NC State’s defense kept the Blue Devils at bay for the majority of the contest. 

“We needed to come out against a very aggressive team and show some toughness,” said head coach Wes Moore. “I thought [in] the first half, we did a pretty good job of handling their pressure and keeping them off the glass. The second half maybe slipped a little bit, but great win and especially after Thursday night.”

Despite the Blue Devils hopping out to an early 4-2 lead, the Pack soon after grabbed the lead for good during an 11-0 run in which graduate center River Baldwin put up some big contributions in her first game back from injury. 

“Just having her presence out there definitely gave the whole team a lift and some confidence,” Moore said. 

In this run, the Pack not only managed to use offense to set the pace of the game but also use defense to help obtain momentum. NC State forced the Devils into five early turnovers, which provided opportunities for the Pack to run away with the lead. 

When the first quarter concluded, the Pack had a 23-13 lead, shooting 60% from the field and 44% from deep. This was spurred on by the beginning of what would prove to be a big day for junior guard Aziaha James.

“You see the ball go through the net a couple of times and now that goal looks like a kiddie swimming pool,” Moore said. “For [James] to hit a couple early, I think gave her confidence and once she gets rolling, you know, get out of the way.” 

The second quarter began with a 6-1 run for the Blue Devils, cutting the Pack’s lead to five. In need of an answer, the red-and-white finally scored its first basket of the quarter nearly three and a half minutes in with a layup from Baldwin. 

This answer sparked a 10-0 run for NC State. At the conclusion of this run, NC State held a solid 34-19 lead. It continued to add to this lead before halftime as graduate forward Mimi Collins and James dished in a couple additional baskets to up the score to 38-23 at halftime.

The third quarter, much like the first, saw early success for the Wolfpack.  and James continued their great performances, scoring 17 of the Pack’s 21 third-quarter points. After proving her adeptness from behind the arc in the first half, James cashed in yet another 3 but also showed her skills from within the paint. 

“So it’s like understanding how important it is for me to set [James] a great screen and knowing that she’s going to make something happen regardless, and we feed off each other very well.” Collins said.

Both players were key to building a 50-30 lead nearly halfway through the quarter as the Pack’s defense limited Duke to only two made field goals in this time frame. Part of NC State’s success on defense came from Rivers, who continued to rack up steals throughout the afternoon. Apart from her nine points, she also tallied a season-high seven steals. Throughout the remainder of the quarter, the Pack matched punches with Duke, taking a 59-38 lead into the fourth quarter. 

Heading into the homestretch, the Pack did not get off to a strong start, despite holding an impressive lead. Right off the bat, the Devils forced an NC State turnover, which they cashed in for two. Over the next few minutes, Duke utilized an 11-3 run to cut the score to 62-49. Aside from free throws by James and Collins, the Pack struggled to put together points as it only cashed in on one field goal through the nearly the first seven and a half minutes of the quarter. 

Even though the lead was still in double digits, the Pack needed some juice to finish strong. It once again turned to James who put up two more baskets in the waning minutes to give some momentum back to the Pack. Despite being outscored in the final quarter, NC State continued to apply strong defense to help limit the damage. 

Throughout the majority of the game, NC State was in control of its destiny as it utilized complementary basketball. With stifling defense, it helped build a lead when its shots were falling and helped limit the damage in the second half when they were not. 

In its return home, the team owed a lot to James who posted a season-high 33 points which included a trio of 3-pointers. Collins also did her part as she posted a double-double which included 16 points along with ten rebounds. 

The Pack will be back in action Thursday, Jan. 25 as it travels to take on Clemson. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be televised on ACC Network Extra.