NC State
28-6,16-2ACC
Michigan State
22-10,11-7Big Ten
Sweet 16 Bound: Pack Set Handful of School NCAA Tournament Records with 34-Point Win Over Michigan State
3/24/2025 3:30:00 PM | Women's Basketball
RALEIGH – The No. 9/9, 2-seeded NC State women's basketball team came out firing on all cylinders to earn its sixth NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 berth in the last seven years, all under the Wes Moore era, with an 83-49 win over 7-seeded Michigan State. NC State led in wire-to-wire fashion, setting an NCAA program record in largest margin of victory (34) and most 3-pointers made (15), as well as tied for most blocks (7).
The Pack had four players in double figures, led by Aziaha James' 26 points for her 14th 20-point game of the season. Saniya Rivers finished two rebounds shy of a triple-double with 17 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds. Graduate Madison Hayes launched a career-high five 3-pointers, also playing in her last game in Reynolds Coliseum. The seniors logged 60 of the Pack's 83 points on Monday afternoon.
That victory marked the Pack's 23rd straight at home, the third best active home streak in the country, while NC State finished the season 18-0 at Reynolds this season. Those 18 home wins is the most for the Pack in a single season. NC State's win marked the 20th straight home win for the Pack in an NCAA tournament game played in Raleigh (21-2 in NCAA Tournament games played in Raleigh).
NC State won the battle in points off turnovers (18-8), second chance points (5-2), fast break points (23-3) and bench points (18-10).
The Pack got on the board first with a James jumper, which was set up after she blocked the Spartans' shot on their first possession. A Hayes 3-pointer gave the Pack an early 5-0 lead. The Spartans got on their board after missing its first three shots and after another Hayes 3-pointer, Michigan State called a timeout, as the Pack led 12-4 with 6:09 left in the first quarter. Michigan State converted a 3-point play after the timeout, but Rivers and James responded with the Pack's third and fourth triples of the game. At the media timeout taken with 4:35 left in the first, the Pack led 18-9. The Pack closed out the quarter on a 12-0 run, highlighted by Hayes' third triple of the game. Michigan State was held scoreless for the remaining five minutes of the frame. NC State outscored the Spartans 27-9 in the first quarter.
Hayes knocked down her fourth 3-pointer of the game to begin the second quarter to extend the Pack's run to a 15-0 one. The Spartans broke its nearly seven-minute scoring drought with a 3-pointer. NC State was held without a field goal for over three minutes, but James broke that with a triple to pull the Pack ahead by 22. The Spartans then went on a 7-0 run, but James broke the Pack's two-minute drought with five straight points off a 3-pointer and jumper. Hayes hit the Pack's ninth triple of the game, starting the contest 5-of-5 from beyond the arc. The 3-pointers kept rolling, as Devyn Quigley delivered a triple and then River came up with a layup off a steal to give the Pack a 26-point lead. NC State went into the locker room with a 47-23 advantage, making 10 triples in the first half, which already had tied the school record for most triples in an NCAA Tournament game.
The Spartans came up with the first basket of the second half, but James responded with the Pack's 11th 3-pointer, which marked a school record for most 3-pointers in an NCAA Tournament game. The Pack went 0-for-5 on its next field goal attempts, but Rivers answered with a layup. James logged her fifth triple of the game and at the media timeout, the Pack held the 57-29 advantage. James hit her sixth triple of the game, which was a part of a 9-2 run for the Pack to take a 33-point lead with 2:05 left in the third quarter. Zamareya Jones hit the Pack's 14th 3-pointer of the game, and at the end of the third, the Pack led 69-36.
Rivers kept the Pack rolling offensively with a layup and Jones knocked down another triple. Jones found Awou under the basket for two. The Pack kept things rolling, leading 76-42 with 3:53 left in the game. Jones logged nine of the Pack's 14 points in the fourth quarter, as the Pack won 83-49 in a game NC State led in wire-to-wire fashion.
PACK FACTS
- James had an efficient night from the field with 26 points off 10-of-17 from the field and 6-of-11 from the 3-point line. She also added six rebounds, two blocks and one steal in 29 minutes. Her 26 points is her 14th 20-point game this year
- Hayes registered 17 points and nine rebounds. She started the game 5-of-5 from beyond the arc, with her five triples marking a new career-high mark from beyond the arc
- Rivers finished shy of a triple-double with 17 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds. She logged two blocks and two steals
- Jones recorded 12 points in 12 minutes off the bench. She went 5-of-9 from the field and 2-of-4 from beyond the arc
- Lorena Awou tallied eight rebounds and two blocks
- The Pack logged 15 3-pointers, the second most
UPCOMING
The Pack will play the winner of three-seeded LSU sixth-seeded Florida State on Friday, March 28 at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena in Spokane, Washington.
