NC State
25-5,16-2ACC
Georgia Tech
22-10,9-9ACC
No. 7/8 Pack Advances to 2025 Ally ACC Tournament Semifinals for Seventh Time in Last Eight Years
3/7/2025 4:48:00 PM | Women's Basketball
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The No. 7/8 NC State women's basketball team took down Georgia Tech in the 2025 Ally ACC Tournament Quarterfinals in thrilling fashion, 73-72. In a game that featured 14 lead changes and 12 ties, the Pack pulled away in the final minutes to advance to the ACC Tournament Semifinals for the seventh time in the last eight years.
Down by one point with 15 seconds left, Aziaha James earned a trip to the free throw line and knocked down the two free throws to elevate NC State ahead with seven seconds left. The Pack locked down on defense in the Yellow Jackets' final possession, as Georgia Tech could not even get a shot off, to secure the win.
James led the Pack with 16 points and six players finished with 9+ points. The Pack won the battle in points in the paint (36-28) and shot 42.9 percent from the field (30-70).
NC State won the jump ball, and Tilda Trygger got the Pack on the board first. The game remained tight early, but Georgia Tech pulled ahead for a 13-8 lead going into the first media timeout with 4:55 left in the first quarter. Out of the break, NC State responded with a 6-0 run to cut the deficit, but the Pack trailed by five at the end of the first quarter, 23-18.
After falling behind early in the second quarter by as many as nine, NC State clawed its way back. James broke the drought with a basket, and the Pack continued to push and tied the game at 28-28 with 5:21 remaining in the second quarter. Moments later, Zamareya Jones gave NC State its first lead since early in the game, 32-30, with a layup at the 2:40 mark. Madison Hayes and Saniya Rivers followed with back-to-back 3-pointers, the Pack's first triples of the game, to lead by four, its largest lead of the game, with 1:02 left in the half. Georgia Tech came up with a tough layup in response, and at the half, the Pack led, 38-37.
Georgia Tech came out strong in the second half, reclaiming the lead with back-to-back layups. Rivers quickly answered with a 3-pointer, tying the game with 7:46 left in the third quarter. Georgia Tech had a response with another basket to take a two-point lead, but James evened the score again with a crafty behind-the-back layup. The Yellow Jackets hit a three-pointer to pull ahead 46-43 at the first media timeout of the second half. Trygger started to find her rhythm with three straight baskets, as the Pack trailed by one with 2:53 left in the third. In the closing moments of the quarter, Rivers knocked down a jumper to give NC State the lead once again, heading into the fourth quarter with a 53-52 advantage.
NC State extended its lead to four with a stepback jumper by Brooks. Georgia Tech responded with a 8-0 run to retake the lead by four with 6:46 left in the fourth. Brooks tied the game once again with a driving layup and the game would then be tied two different times until Jones made a clutch 3-pointer to pull the Pack ahead by three, 69-66, with 1:42 left in the game. The Yellow Jackets responded and regained the one-point lead with 41 seconds left, but James responded with a jumper with 41 second left in the game, as the Pack was ahead 71-70. Georgia Tech drew a foul with 15 seconds left and made the two free throws to lead, 72-71. That was short-lived, as James drew a foul with seven seconds left and knocked down the go-ahead free throws to give the Pack the lead. NC State came up with a stop on defense to survive in the quarterfinals with the 73-72 win.
PACK FACTS
- James paced the Pack with 16 points, including the go-ahead free throws, as well as four rebounds and two assists
- Brooks registered 14 points, nine rebounds, four assists and three steals. She had eight of her points in the second half
- Trygger logged 12 points and six rebounds
- Jones had 13 points, three rebounds and one steal off the bench
- Hayes was solid with nine points and six boards
- Rivers finished with nine points, four rebounds and three assists
UPCOMING
The Pack will play five-seed, No. 14 North Carolina in the semifinals on Saturday, March 8 at noon on ESPN2.
