NC State
18-4,10-1ACC
Duke
17-5,8-2ACC
Pack’s Second Half Surge Lifts Pack Over No. 10/10 Duke in 20th Play4Kay Game
2/3/2025 10:36:00 PM | Women's Basketball
RALEIGH, N.C. – The No. 14/16 Pack overcame a 13-point deficit to defeat No. 10/10 Duke, 89-83, on the 20th annual Play4Kay Game. NC State outscored the Blue Devils 57-40 in the second half and shot a season-high 61 percent (36-59) in the game, its first 60 percent shooting night since 2023. Aziaha James scored a career-high 36 points, including 27 in the second half.
The Pack outscored Duke 58-34 in the paint and 36-17 in fast breaks. The win marked NC State's 18th straight at home to improve to 13-0 at home, while winning 14 of the last 15.
NC State won the tipoff, and after both teams came up empty on their first two possessions, Tilda Trygger hit a 3-pointer, but Duke quickly answered with one of its own. The Pack made four of its next field goals, going up by four after a James 3-pointer, but after a Duke basket, the Pack led 12-10 at the media timeout taken with 4:51 left in the first quarter. James came up with a layup off a steal, which led to a 7-0 run, and the Blue Devils Blue Devils were held without a field goal for over four minutes. Madison Hayes then came up with a 3-point play and a Brooks jumper put the Pack ahead by 10 until the Blue Devils hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer, as the Pack led 24-17 at the end of the first.
The Pack had a tough second quarter, being outscored 26-8. Duke went on a 20-0 run to lead by 10, 34-24, with 6:02 left in the first half. The Pack continued to have a tough time finding a basket until a Mallory Collier putback basket ended a six-minute scoring drought for the Pack halfway through the quarter. The Pack went 3-of-3 at the end of the quarter, including with a layup by Brooks, but the Pack trailed 43-32 at the half.
Duke extended its lead to 13 out of the break, but Trygger delivered a layup. James delivered an and-1 to cut the lead to single digits, nine, for the first time since early in the second quarter. A James 3-pointer and a Brooks basket cut the deficit to five. That cut in the lead was short lived, as the Blue Devils went on a 7-0 run in less than a minute to extend its lead back to 12. Rivers then came up with a layup through contact and converted the 3-point play. Rivers then delivered another and-1 and James knocked down a jumper as a part of a 10-0 run for NC State, while Duke was held in a four-minute scoring drought. Duke made two free throws before the end of the quarter, one the Pack outscored the Blue Devils 26-19. The Pack trailed 62-58 going into the fourth quarter.
The Blue Devils came up with a second chance layup, and then Hayes knocked down a triple. Duke extended its lead to five, but a James jumper cut it back to two. James hit three free throws after being fouled off a 3-pointer to tie the game, 68-68, with 6:30 left in the game. James then delivered a jumper to put her point total to 30 and give the Pack its first lead since the second quarter, 70-68, with 5:53 left in the game. Duke hit a 3-pointer out of the break to retake the lead until Lorena Awou delivered a basket through contact and Rivers hit a jumper. With 4:07 left in the game, the Pack led 78-76. The Blue Devils tied the game off a jumper, and Awou delivered a putback basket through contact. Awou delivered her fourth basket of the game, and with 1:33 left, the Pack led 82-79. Rivers layup off long pass up by five. James delivered a layup to put the Pack up by five with 31 seconds left in the game. The Blue Devils made a basket with 16 seconds left in the game. Brooks made two free throws and the Pack got a stop on defense to seal the 89-83 win.
PACK FACTS
- James had a career-high 36 points off shooting 15-of-19 from the field with six rebounds, one block and steal
- Brooks registered 15 points off 6-of-11 from the field, with four rebounds and one block
- Rivers recorded 13 points, three rebounds, four assists and two blocks
- Awou delivered a big 11 minutes off the bench with eight points off a perfect 4-of-4 from the field with four rebounds and one block
- Hayes recorded eight points and seven boards, which tied a team-high with Trygger
UPCOMING
The Pack will head on the road to play at Florida State on Sunday, Feb. 9 for a 2 p.m. tipoff in Tallahassee. The game will be broadcast on The CW.
