No. 10 NC State women’s basketball finished out its Thanksgiving campaign at the 2023 Paradise Jam with a 78-60 win against No. 3 Colorado. Graduate center River Baldwin put up a career-high 26 points in the matchup.
The Wolfpack (7-0) hasn’t gone up against the Buffaloes (6-1) since 1997, when Colorado squeaked out a five-point win. Their battle in the U.S. Virgin Islands marks just the second time the teams have faced each other, and both came into today’s matchup undefeated on the season.
NC State is coming into its own this season, competing well against two top-five teams in its early-season schedule. Its wins over then-No. 2 UConn and No. 3 Colorado puts the Pack back in a position to dominate after a somewhat disappointing 2022-23 season.
Against the Buffaloes, NC State started off strong, attacking aggressively in the paint to put itself up 9-0 in the first few minutes. NC State held the Buffaloes to six points in the first quarter, not allowing Colorado to put up any points from free throws or from behind the arc. Junior guard Saniya Rivers put forth a strong effort defensively, stopping efforts from Colorado at the rim early on.
While Colorado struggled to get points on the board, the Wolfpack struggled from behind the arc, going 2-7 in the first half. The Pack made up for that in its near 100% free-throw percentage, including Baldwin’s 6-6 at the line in the first half. Baldwin also led the team with 16 points at halftime.
The Buffaloes were able to put up 20 points to the Pack’s 19 in the second quarter. NC State’s offense attack slowed down towards the end of the second quarter but still maintained a strong lead going into halftime, 41-26.
Picking up after the break, the Pack outperformed Colorado in points in the third quarter. It held the Buffaloes to a shooting percentage of 31.3%, while NC State put up 52.9%. Baldwin continued her push, showing out in the paint and posting six defensive rebounds. Junior guard Aziaha James finished just behind Baldwin in points with 13.
NC State held onto its lead the entire game, and it was clear that the Pack came out after halftime with the win in mind. The Wolfpack dominated throughout the first half and remained in that mindset through the second half. The red-and-white limited the Buffaloes’ offensive production and showed up both in the paint and at the line. Over the course of the game, the Pack shot 27-58 from the field and went 20-21 at the line.
The Wolfpack will now travel back home to Raleigh after going 3-0 at the 2023 Paradise Jam. The team will take on Vanderbilt on Wednesday, Nov. 29 at 7:15 p.m. The game will be broadcast on the ACC Network.
