Senior, freshman lead NC State women’s basketball: Three takeaways from Pack’s win
N.C. State entered Sunday afternoon 1-4 when trailing at halftime, but it also entered the game having most of its offensive success after the halftime break. When the Cavaliers took a one-point lead to the locker room, the Wolfpack had a chance to prove one of those trends right.
Another tough second-half performance won out.
Senior Madison Hayes tumbled near the bench, narrowly avoiding a late turnover, as she grabbed the in-bounds pass. She then scored a layup as N.C. State retook a one-point lead.
With two seconds remaining, Hayes recorded a steal on the inbounds play and knocked down a pair of free throws to ice the 73-68 victory.
N.C. State’s offense struggled in the first half, which has become a common trend. The Wolfpack averages 34 first-half points this season. It went to the locker room with, yes, 34. It has scored more than 35 first-half points in seven games and more than 40 in only three.
However, the Pack averages 75 points per game on the season and 80.2 during conference play, scoring more than 40 points in the second half.
Virginia held N.C. State under its season and ACC averages, but the Wolfpack (14-4, 6-1 ACC) found a way to win and remain undefeated at home.
“That’s just who we are as a team,” Hayes said. “We’re relentless, and that’s what we try to show every night. When our shot’s not going, you know, we got to rely on our defensive rebounding. Coach (Wes) Moore makes a big emphasis on that. That’s pretty much what happened. We just kept fighting.”
It felt like a pick-your-poison situation for the defense all night, which struggled to stop the Cavaliers (11-8, 3-4 ACC). N.C. State played with toughness, but sometimes teams are luckier than usual. Virginia shot 53.1% from the field and 47.6% from 3, above its typical 41.5% and 31% split.
N.C. State 37.1% from the field and 27.3% from the arc, both numbers about 8% lower than previous games.
The contest featured 16 ties and 16 lead changes, as the Cavaliers kept things close in Raleigh.
Freshman Tilda Trygger, however, continued to impress for the Wolfpack, scoring seven of the team’s first nine points and starting 4 of 4 from the field. Trygger entered the game averaging 10.8 points in the last four games, including three straight double figure contests. She finished with nine points and a career-high 13 rebounds, pulling down nine boards in the fourth quarter alone.
The rookie’s early efficiency proved significant as Aziaha James took a while to get going. The senior guard started 0-5 from the field and didn’t make her first basket until the 4:43 mark in the second quarter.
Hayes recorded a double-double for the second straight game, her do-it-all mentality providing the Wolfpack with a much-needed lift on both ends of the floor. She contributed 19 points, 13 rebounds, two blocks and two steals.
“The last double-double, I only had 10 defensive (rebounds) and zero offensive. (Moore) got in me a little bit about going to the offensive boards. I went to the offensive board today, got six of them,” Hayes said with a laugh. “I don’t want to hear him tomorrow or the next day about me offensive rebounding.”
Moore jokingly said he told Hayes if she loved him as a coach, she would have more double-doubles.
Trygger and Hayes made clutch plays in crunch time. At one point late in the fourth, N.C. State had missed nine consecutive shots and was 1 of its last 14, but they kept plays alive with their rebounding efforts. Moore still hopes to see more toughness from Trygger, who is still adjusting to the post role, but the duo’s contributions were more than necessary to pull off the victory.
“I think she’s she progressed very well since the beginning of the season,” James said of Trygger. “We told her it’s about time for March, so you’re not a freshman anymore. It’s time to be a grown woman. I think she’s handling it very well.”
James, as composed as ever, hit a pair of free throws with 8.9 seconds remaining to put the Pack up three. She led the team with 20 points and drew three charges to force turnovers. Zoe Brooks also added 14 points and seven assists.
“It wasn’t one of our better shooting days, but we always talk about defending and rebounding can save you on a day like that. And, of course, free throws kind of help, too,” Moore said. “Proud of the way they hung in there, hit 15 out of 16 free throws. A lot of good things from it, even though it definitely wasn’t one of our better shooting days.”
Here are three takeaways from the Wolfpack’s 11th home win of the season.
Pack struggles with Paris Clark early
Virginia’s offense is led by Kymora Johnson and Latasha Lattimore, the duo averaging a combined 31 points per game. Lattimore, specifically, entered the game contributing 13 points and 9.2 rebounds. Except she’s not who got UVA’s offense going.
Paris Clark surpassed her season average (7 points per game) in the first quarter. The junior scored eight of the Cavaliers’ 15 first points, shooting 4 of 5 from the line.
Clark went to the halftime locker room with 10 points and three assists.
N.C. State’s defense, however, honed in on the Cavaliers guard and held her to two second-half points.
No Niya in the second
The Wolfpack played without Saniya Rivers for the entire second quarter after officials called her for two fouls in the first. She scored four points and notched a pair of assists in the opening quarter.
Virginia utilized the senior’s absence to take a one-point lead into the break after scoring 20 points. The Cavaliers shot 8 of 13 from the field and 4 of 5 from the perimeter.
Moore said if the Cavaliers had extended their lead further, he might’ve risked putting her back into the game, but he didn’t feel the need to. Those who played in her absence did enough to get N.C. State to the break.
Rivers returned in the second half and played all 20 minutes. When the game was tied at 45, Rivers poked the ball away for a steal and took it cross court for a transition bucket.
The senior ultimately finished with six points, one rebound, three assists and four steals .Rivers entered the game averaging 12.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, second on the team in both categories.
“She’s a ‘Swiper, no swiping,’” Hayes said of Rivers’ steals, a nod to childhood cartoon Dora the Explorer. “She’s just going and getting that ball. That’s all she does. She helps us in that aspect, and she’s like our energy on defense, as well.”
The Wolfpack is 10-2 when the senior scores in double figures, the only losses coming to No. 10 TCU and No. 5 LSU. It is also 9-3 when Rivers plays at least 30 minutes. She didn’t hit the double-figure mark and played just under 30 minutes, but Rivers provides leadership and defensive toughness that cannot be overstated.
Bench play provides little to either team
N.C. State and Virginia have two relatively productive benches. The Cavaliers typically get 17 points from non-starters, and the Wolfpack receives a little more than 19. The benches were of little significance in the ACC matchup.
Virginia finished with five bench points, and the Pack had five.
Mallory Collier and Devyn Quigley were the only players to come off the bench and score. Quigley hit a 3 in the second quarter to stop a Virginia scoring run.
Freshman Zamareya Jones shot 0 of 2 and committed one foul. Moore said Jones is still recovering from her injury; it was just her second game since being cleared to play.
N.C. State defeated Stanford last week due in part to its bench. It buoyed the offense when Brooks and James were in foul trouble, and it needs more consistency from that area.
This story was originally published January 19, 2025 at 4:18 PM with the headline "Senior, freshman lead NC State women’s basketball: Three takeaways from Pack’s win."
