With Olivia Miles, Sonia Citron and Hannah Hidalgo forming a trio so electrifying it was dubbed “Guard U,” it was hard to picture anyone but Notre Dame winning the ACC title this season. That sentiment stayed true throughout the season – until the North Carolina State Wolfpack proved that it’s anyone’s game and that they were going to make opponents play theirs.
NC State owned the top seed in the ACC Tournament after chasing down the Fighting Irish to claim a share of the regular-season crown. And with the Irish losing two of their final three regular-season games, including a double-OT loss to the Wolfpack, NC State looked prime to start a memorable March run – perhaps matching last season’s, when they were in the Final Four.
NC State progressed to Sunday’s ACC Tournament championship game against third-seeded Duke, which upset Notre Dame in a tourney semifinal. Considering the Wolfpack beat the Blue Devils by six on Feb. 3 and had won 15 of their past 16 games, it looked as if they were going to win their first ACC tourney since the 2021-22 season. The Wolfpack led 36-29 at halftime, thanks to a strong defensive effort (Duke was 12-of-33 from the field in the first two quarters). But the Blue Devils outscored NC State 24-10 in the third quarter and went on to win 76-62. The loss helped the Wolfpack reevaluate what they need to succeed in March Madness.
NC State was led by 5-foot-10 senior guard Aziaha James’ 18 points, while 6-foot-1 senior guard Saniya Rivers added 16 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists, but the defense coach Wes Moore has said needed improvement all season allowed Duke to shoot 55.2 percent from the field in the second half. Duke got 22 points each from 5-foot-10 sophomore guard Oluchi Okananwa and 6-foot junior guard Ashlon Jackson; no other Blue Devil scored in double digits.
“We need to be a little more like Duke is on the defensive end and on the boards,” Moore said. “We need to have a little more dog in us and compete. When things are going wrong and momentum shifts, you have to fight that much harder and turn that momentum back around. We’ve done that at times during the year.”
Despite the loss, Moore is pleased with the progress his team has made this season. “We started out, I think 4-3, and have won 20 of our last 22, so I’m just really proud of what they’ve been able to do,” he said. “… I feel like we have a lot of momentum, but it’s a whole new season now. You erase the records and start all over, and so gotta go out and prove ourselves again.”
Moore was named ACC Coach of the Year as he led the Wolfpack to their second ACC regular-season title in the past four years. The Wolfpack won 16 ACC games this year (16-2), tied for the second-most in program history.
With the graduations of forward Mimi Collins and center River Baldwin, the Wolfpack had to adjust their style and rely on returning players and newcomers to play big roles. That is exactly what the Wolfpack did – they played unselfish basketball and leaned on each other. It helped that 5-foot-10 sophomore guard Zoe Brooks embraced a starting role and 6-foot senior wing Madison Hayes continued to be solid.
But even before the ACC Tournament, Moore talked about making some tweaks and using some different looks. “Whatever it takes to improve our defense,” Moore said.
Not to be overlooked is that the 4-3 start to the season included losses to South Carolina, TCU and LSU, all currently ranked in the top 10. But until Sunday, NC State’s only loss since the end of January was by one point at North Carolina on Feb. 16. They avenged that loss with a 66-55 win over the Tar Heels in an ACC tourney semifinal. Interestingly, what made the difference this time for the Wolfpack was their defense. They pressured the ball effectively and held UNC to just 27.9% shooting, including 5-of-25 from behind the arc.
NC State excelled in transition and used its size in the paint to lead by as many as 19 points. The Wolfpack’s depth played a role, with 6-foot-3 sophomore center Mallory Collier stepping up defensively in the post with 6-foot-6 freshman Tilda Trygger and 6-foot-5 freshman Lorena Awou in foul trouble.
Moore now has his seventh 25-win season at NC State and the 17th of his 36-year coaching career. His Wolfpack team is loaded with talent, intelligence, grit and physicality.
But Sunday’s loss showed that even talented teams can be beaten and that to make it back to the Final Four the Wolfpack have to shore up a few things.
“It sucks when you work that hard and it doesn’t result in the win, but it’s not over for us,” Rivers said. “We still have a long season ahead of us in our minds, so we’re just going to take this break and get our minds back right and obviously fix what we can correct.”
