For the fifth time in program history, NC State women’s basketball boasts an 11-0 to start the season after earning a 66-54 win on the road over South Florida. A 16-point double-double from graduate center River Baldwin pushed the No. 3 Pack past the Bulls.
The play in and around the basket was the difference between the two teams. NC State (11-0) outscored the Bulls (7-4) in the paint by 32 points as South Florida had no answer for the Pack’s dominant presence inside. Coming into this game, the Wolfpack ranked 10th in the NCAA in rebounds per game. With 42 rebounds, the Pack continued to show that it’s one of the best rebounding teams in the nation.
The Pack went on a 7-0 scoring run to start the first quarter with Baldwin scoring all seven points. The Bulls didn’t have an answer for Baldwin in the post at the start of the game, but they still managed to keep the game close in the first quarter. The Bulls combined a couple of clutch three-pointers with quick transitions to prevent the Pack from properly setting up its defense and running away with the game.
The Wolfpack’s best stretch of play came midway through the second quarter, when it extended its lead thanks to a 16-2 run. While South Florida’s shooting dried up, junior guard Aziaha James and freshman guard Zoe Brooks used their explosiveness to punish the Bulls on the other end of the court.
Despite the best efforts of its opponent, NC State didn’t let off the gas. The Pack finished the game shooting an impressive 50% from the field. Although the red-and-white struggled from beyond the arc, whenever the Wolfpack got space inside, it couldn’t miss.
The third quarter saw both teams trading buckets on opposite ends of the floor. Whenever USF made a statement with a big play, the seasoned NC State veterans never let it get to them and consistently answered with a score of their own.
NC State held onto its 12-point halftime lead by the end of the game despite a sluggish fourth quarter where they only scored seven points. Both teams slowed down at the end of the game as the defense tightened up on both ends.
For the second straight game, the Pack was without star junior guard Saniya Rivers. Despite an injury to one of their key playmakers, NC State still showed why it’s one of the best in the country.
This team continues to prove that it has a lot of depth, including multiple scoring threats that force teams to pick their poison when it comes to defense. If given the opportunity, Baldwin can clean up in the paint — but doubling her leaves James out at the three-point line, where she’s shooting a remarkable 47.1%.
As the game came to a close, Baldwin secured her 10th rebound of the game to earn her second double-double of the season in a big road win.
The Pack’s next game is on the road against Old Dominion, where it will look to improve to 12-0 on Wednesday, Dec. 20 at 6:30 p.m.
