NC State women’s basketball defeated the Louisville Cardinals on the road on Sunday, Jan. 22. An impressive all-around effort from the No. 20 Wolfpack propelled the team to a 63-51 victory in a battle between two squads historically dominant in the ACC.

The Pack (15-5, 5-4 ACC) received scoring contributions from all eight players in its rotation, with four athletes scoring in double digits. Senior forward Jada Boyd recorded a team-high 15 points, sophomore guard Saniya Rivers and junior guard Diamond Johnson each added 12 and graduate forward Mimi Collins poured in 11.

The Wolfpack’s balanced attack was indisputably crucial to the win. Meanwhile, the Cards (15-7, 6-3 ACC) received scoring contributions from just six of their 10 players. Louisville guard Chrislyn Carr scored 14 of the Cardinals’ first 16 points, desperately trying to keep her team on pace with an NC State squad that opened up the game firing on all cylinders.

The Pack was dominant in the first quarter, leaping out to a 10-2 lead in the first five minutes of play. An aggressive attack on offense and lockdown defense on the other end kept the red-and-white on top for the duration of the period.

It wasn’t until the second quarter that the Cardinals started to show signs of life. They kept up with the Wolfpack for most of the quarter and really began to chip away at the lead in the final few minutes of the half. Once Louisville got a couple of defensive stops that allowed them to score in transition, the momentum turned in the team’s favor, and it seemed almost unstoppable. The Cardinals closed out the half with a 5-0 run to take their first lead of the game.

The two teams battled back and forth in the third quarter, each struggling to score out of their offensive sets. Tough defense from each side forced players into difficult shots, but Rivers shined under the pressure. The sophomore scored six of her 12 points in the third off of two and-1 layups.

Heading into the final quarter, NC State led 48-47. However, a stellar defensive effort from the Wolfpack held the Cardinals to just four points in the fourth, including just one bucket from the field. On the offensive end, the Pack poured in 15 points to close out the game 63-51.

The Pack will return to Reynolds Coliseum to take on the No. 7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Sunday, Jan. 29. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m.