NC State women’s basketball takes care of business in first-round NCAA Tournament win
N.C. State guard Madison Hayes charged down the court toward the Chattanooga bench, arms outstretched as she corralled the ball to complete the turnover. Her feet came to a screeching halt — in bounds. Wolfpack ball. Hayes then turned, raced toward the basket, made the layup and drew a foul, eliciting raucous energy from the Reynolds Coliseum crowd, and a chest-bump celebration from teammate Saniya Rivers.
That passion extended to the Pack’s play on both ends of the floor as N.C. State advanced to the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 with a 64-45 win over Chattanooga on Saturday.
Wes Moore said Friday that several prognosticators called the team’s match-up a possible first-round upset, but instead N.C. State (28-6) handed the Mocs (28-5) their second loss since December — and their first road loss of the season.
Offense was virtually nonexistent for both teams in the first half, with the Wolfpack starting 0 for 5 in the first quarter. The teams shot a combined 14 of 52 from the field (3 for 24 from 3-point range). N.C. State went into the locker room with a 26-17 lead.
The Mocs forced five first-half Wolfpack turnovers, while doubling Mimi Collins and River Baldwin in the post. Most of the duo’s points came from the free-throw line.
“At the beginning of the game, I wasn’t really hitting. They were double- and triple-teaming the post,” Baldwin said. She finished with 10 points, with two field goals, and 11 rebounds. “On nights I’m not able to score — I am a big post presence — I just want to contribute in any way that I can.”
A low-scoring game should have been expected, considering both programs hold opponents to fewer than 60 points per game. The Mocs entered the game No. 7 in the nation in scoring defense (54.2) and No. 15 in 3-point percentage defense (26.7%).
“They’re a good team. They’re not a bad team. They came here for a reason,” Hayes said. “We just had to make we were locked in and (were) ready to go.”
The Wolfpack started to gain traction on offense in the second quarter, thanks in large part to its defense. Moore implemented the team’s press late into the second quarter, leading to a Chattanooga backcourt violation and a bucket for Rivers.
N.C. State’s aggressive approach led to a 28-point lead and three shots from the perimeter in the second. Chattanooga held Aziaha James scoreless in the first half. She hit a 3-pointer 18 seconds into the third and finished with a game-leading 19 points and five 3s.
The Wolfpack isn’t surprised by James’ final stat line. Collins said James doesn’t give up, while Rivers said going off for 19 in a half is normal to the team.
“Zaza’s never gonna go scoreless. Zaza’s never gonna have a doughnut,” Rivers said. “That’s just her mentality. She has that dog in her. She knows that in order to win games, she needs to score. She doesn’t have time to get her head. First half was scoreless. OK, onto the second half. It’s a new game.”
Additionally, Chattanooga entered the game hitting 37.5% of its shots from 3. The Mocs made just 3 of 15 Saturday.
“Defense wins championships,” Collins said. “I think that’s the biggest thing. If we just hold down on defense I know we’re gonna make buckets.”
It was an emotional contest for both programs, Moore coaching against his former employer and Hayes facing her hometown university. Hayes finished with five points, nine points, four assists and a steal.
On the other side, Chattanooga faced the man who built its program, and the player who made its city proud, while trying to extend its season one more time.
The Wolfpack advances to face No. 6 seed Tennessee — and former head coach Kellie Harper — on Monday.
