NC State
20-5,12-2ACC
North Carolina
23-4,11-3ACC
Pack Falls in Heartbreaker at UNC
2/16/2025 4:41:00 PM | Women's Basketball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The No. 10/11 NC State women's basketball team dropped a heartbreaker at No. 12/12 North Carolina on the road, 66-65. The Pack overcame a 10-point deficit early in the third quarter to then take a six-point lead with less than two minutes left in the game, but the Tar Heels used a 6-0 run, including two game-winning free throws to pick up the win, as NC State could not find a basket with five seconds left in the game..
NC State dropped its first game since Jan. 9 (against Cal). The Pack outrebounded the Tar Heels 55-35 and won the battle in offensive rebounds (18-8), second chance points (18-2) and points in the paint (38-26. The Pack saw four players in double digits in scoring.
UNC won the tipoff, but the Pack striked first with a Saniya Rivers jumper. The Tar Heels quickly answered with five straight points until Madison Hayes tied the game at 5-5 with an and-1. Hayes then drained a triple, as the Pack led 14-10 at the media timeout taken with 3:19 left in the first quarter. The Pack was held in a scoring drought for three minutes, until Lorena Awou made a tough basket through contact to convert a 3-point play. At the end of the first quarter, NC State led 19-12.
The Tar Heels scored first in the second quarter after the Pack was scoreless in the opening three minutes of the quarter. After a UNC layup through contact, Rivers answered with a putback layup. At the media timeout taken with 4:43 left in the second, NC State led 23-19. UNC went on a 13-0 run, as the Pack was held scoreless for the remaining six minutes of the quarter. At the half, the Pack trailed 30-23, as NC State was held to a season-low four points in a quarter and 23 points in a half.
UNC kept the momentum rolling, as the Tar Heels drained in a 3-pointer to start the second half. The Pack scored its first points in nearly seven minutes with a banked in 3-pointer by Aziaha James off a miss, which was the first of three field goals the senior made in a row. The Pack cut the deficit to seven points with another James jumper. At the media timeout taken with 4:24 left in the third, the Pack trailed 43-36. Rivers nailed a jumper, as the Tar Heels went one of seven from the field in a stretch. The Pack cut the deficit to two after a James 3-pointer, but the Tar Heels responded with a triple. Rivers lobbed the ball to Trygger who made a quick two and got fouled in the process. After outscoring the Tar Heels 22-18 in the third quarter, the Pack trailed 48-45 at the end of the third.
Hayes came up with a tough layup to open the fourth quarter, but the Tar Heels responded with a basket of their own. Rivers then tied the game at 50 with a jumper, but UNC delivered a triple. Hayes tied it up at 54 for the third time with a layup, with the game tied up at 54-54 with 4:47 left in the game. The Pack retook the lead with a Trygger layup and Zoe Brooks took it to the hoop to help the Pack go on an 8-0 run. The Tar Heels came up with a 3-pointer, but Hayes responded with one to extend the Pack's lead to six. UNC then hit another triple, as the Pack led 63-60 with 1:37 left in the game. The Tar Heels closed the game with a 6-0 run, including two free throws after a foul called on the Pack with five seconds remaining in the game. The Pack had the ball for the final shot, but the Pack could not get a score, as NC State fell, 66-65.
PACK FACTS
- James led the Pack with 16 points, all in the second half, with seven rebounds and four assists
- Hayes registered her fourth double-double of the season with 13 points and 11 rebounds
- Rivers logged her fifth double-double of the season with 14 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, four blocks and two steals
- Trygger registered eight points and six rebounds
- Brooks tallied 10 points and six boards with two steals
UPCOMING
The Pack will take on No. 19 Georgia Tech on Thursday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. in Atlanta. The game will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra. NC State will host College GameDay the following contest against No. 2 Notre Dame on Sunday, Feb. 23 at noon. The programming for College GameDay will take place from 11 a.m. to noon on ESPN.
