NC State
19-4,11-1ACC
Florida State
19-5,9-3ACC
Pack Scores Season-High 97 Points for Ranked Road Win Over Florida State
2/9/2025 4:44:00 PM | Women's Basketball
TALLAHASSEE. Fla. – The No. 14/14 NC State women's basketball team scored a season-high 97 points to defeat No. 22/22 Florida State, 97-74 behind its fourth consecutive game shooting above 50 percent from the field (37-74). All five starters reached double digits in scoring, led by 22 points by Aziaha James and Zoe Brooks matching her career-high with 21. Head coach Wes Moore also picked up his 850 career win.
The Pack handed the Seminoles its first home loss of the season after starting out 12-0 at the Tucker Center this season. The Pack outrebounded the Seminoles 44-38, while logging 13 offensive rebounds. NC State won back-to-back ranked games and its eight straight contest, 15 of the last 16. The Pack has improved to 11-1 in ACC play, 19-4 overall.
FSU got on the board first with a runner, but Tilda Trygger answered with a putback basket. The Seminoles got up 7-4 off a 3-pointer, but Brooks had a response with a jumper, which started a 7-0 run, 15-2 run overall for the Pack. The Pack then made back-to-back 3-pointers by James and Saniya Rivers and after a layup by James, NC State took a 19-9 lead, forcing FSU to call a timeout with 4:25 left in the first quarter. After the timeout, the Pack was held in a scoring drought for 2.5 minutes until Brooks took it to the hoop for two. Madison Hayes knocked down a triple, and after the first quarter, the Pack led 26-14.
The Seminoles scored quickly with back-to-back baskets to begin the second quarter, and Brooks responded with a layup. FSU took a timeout with 7:55 left in the second, as the Pack led 30-20. Rivers took it to the basket for a layup out of the break and a Trygger putback basket gave the Pack a 13-point lead. The Seminoles got the deficit down to single digits off a jumper off a steal, but Brooks knocked down a triple, which initiated a 12-0 run for NC State to end the quarter, as Zamareya Jones came up with a jumper to put the Pack up by 20 at the half, 51-31.
Trygger began the third quarter with a putback basket and Brooks followed with a layup to pull the Pack ahead by 24. FSU then answered with a 6-0 run. Brooks found Trygger, a part of an 8-0 run for NC State in response. After a 3-pointer by FSU, the Pack led 63-40 with 4:55 left in the third quarter. The Seminoles came out of the break and delivered a basket through contact to convert a 3-point play, a part of a 9-0 run for FSU. Lorena Awou answered with a layup, but FSU knocked down another triple. James had a response with a 3-pointer, and the Pack led at the media timeout with 2:33 left in the third, 68-51. After a two minute scoring drought, James delivered with a layup off a miss and Hayes had a basket through contact. The Seminoles made two free throws at the end of the quarter, and the Pack led 72-51 after three quarters.
FSU scored on its first two possessions in the fourth quarter, and Hayes had a response with her second and-1, this time converting the 3-point play. Jones got fouled on a 3-pointer and made two of three free throws and then went to the basket for two. The Seminoles cut it to 14, but Hayes knocked down a triple with 3:50 left in the game, as the Pack had the 86-69 edge. Rivers knocked down a 3-pointer, as a part of an 8-0 run for NC State. The Pack closed out the game by outsourcing FSU 25-23 in the fourth quarter to defeat the Seminoles 97-74 for NC State's eighth straight victory.
POSTGAME QUOTES
Zoe Brooks
On getting a road ranked win:
It was a great win. We really emphasized defense this game and I think we did a great job defending them, taking away their best player… We also scored really well.
On if it was an emphasis to jump out on FSU early:
Yes, it's an emphasis to jump out on everybody every game and get over it so we can have fun in the second half.
On the success of the first half:
That was a great first half of basketball. Our confidence, energy and we wanted it. We wanted to beat them really bad and that's why we came out like that.
On getting over FSU's attack in the third quarter:
Coach Moore told us we had to win [the third] quarter and we were losing that quarter, but we ended up winning that quarter by one.
Tilda Trygger
How her game has grown since getting into the starting lineup:
Coach Moore said I grew up today and that meant a lot because his confidence in me helps me a lot and also the team is confident and we work hard every practice. Coach Moore trusting my process is a huge part in how I grow.
Jumping on FSU early:
We knew what we had to do. We knew that we had to play good defense, they score a lot of points and we had to make stops and then grab rebounds so we could get on offense. Rebounds were big in this game…
On her growth in rebounding:
Coach Moore reminds me every day to be a better rebounder and I'm going to keep working on it. I'm not done yet, so I just have to keep working every day and I think it's important to my game.
On experience playing the 5:
I need the toughness in playing the 5, and hopefully can transfer that in playing the four.
Coach Moore
On the team's first half:
The Duke win was huge, but when I went back and watched the film and showed the players, we didn't guard and we gave up 83 points… I told the players they have to decide if they want to be here or take it up to here, and they had to make a commitment to guarding, and what they did today was unbelievable, especially Saniya [Rivers]. She has a virus or something going on, she hasn't been able to eat and for her to guard one of the best players in the country in [Ta'nia] Latson the way she did was unbelievable. It was not just her, it was everybody. Aziaha [James] has been on a roll, Zoe [Brooks] is playing at a high level right now, Madison Hayes [with] her experience and then Tilda [Trygger], I thought this was her breakout today against one of the top post players in the league. I couldn't be prouder of them.
On Tilda's performance:
She would rather be roaming around on the perimeter… But it's nice for her to have that ability to step out and shoot the 3, so for a freshman, first time in the U.S. to play like she has been playing… but again, it's just a start, we have to keep going and still a long way to go… I think her length gave [Makayla] Timpson some trouble at times. She had a great game.
On putting a stop to FSU's run in the third quarter:
First of all, you don't want them to get happy. That's what I like to say. You don't want them to get happy and start feeling good. We talked about it at halftime, let's win the third quarter. Well we won it by one point, so that was big and that kind of set the tone. They still made a run, they cut it to 13, so we still had to weather a few storms. Obviously Madison Hayes hit a big 3 and Aziaha hit a big 3… That was a great team. I thought we played one of the best defensive teams in the country last Monday and played maybe the best offensive team in the country today. Heck of a week.
PACK FACTS
- James scored her 11th 20-point game behind 22 points, off 9-of-18 shooting from the field, with five rebounds and three steals
- Brooks matched her career-high with 21 points with seven rebounds, seven assists and one block
- Trygger delivered her second double-double of the season behind 16 points and a career-high 14 rebounds, She also added a career-high three blocks and one steal
- Hayes finished just shy of a double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds
- Rivers logged 12 points, three rebounds and two blocks, while guarding the nation's leading scorer, holding Ta'Niya Latson to below her scoring average with 23
- Jones scored six points off the bench
- NC State scored 52 points in the paint and won the battle in second chance points, 23-5
UPCOMING
The Pack will head back home to host Miami on Thursday, Feb. 13 at 6 p.m. The game from Reynolds Coliseum will be aired on the ACC Network.
