NC State women’s basketball stuns Duke: 3 takeaways from a signature win for Wolfpack
Madison Hayes stood on the baseline in front of Duke’s bench. The senior passed it crosscourt to Saniya Rivers, like a fadeaway route in football, into the Wolfpack’s frontcourt. The N.C. State senior dribbled a couple of times before laying it in, giving the Wolfpack a two-possession lead.
Rivers’ fifth field goal of the night — the play of a thrilling rivalry game — touched off a brief, enthusiastic celebration before the Pack returned to its defensive formation.
There’s just something about playing Duke that sets the Wolfpack on fire.
A little more than a year ago, Aziaha James scored a career-high 33 points against the Blue Devils in Reynolds Coliseum. She dialed that up Monday night — and then some. James popped in a career-high 36 points to secure an 89-83 Wolfpack win over the Blue Devils in an important and dramatic ACC contest. Duke entered the game holding ACC opponents under 50 points per game.
“Duke and Carolina. Them blues don’t sit right with me, so (I) just bring my all every time we play them,” James said. “We just don’t like blues. That’s it.”
The senior guard finished the night 15 of 19 from the field (78.9%), including a pair of 3-pointers.
“Sometimes you just got to get out of the way and let her go,” N.C. State head coach Wes Moore said. “It’s her time of year. You know, last year, February, March, she was unbelievable. She had a tough first half, had three turnovers, and then turned it over there early in the in the second half. But, she’s got confidence, and she makes things happen, and which makes it easy on the old coach.”
Moore acknowledged that he isn’t particularly happy that his team gave up 83 points. He isn’t happy the Wolfpack committed 15 turnovers and got down by double digits. He is, however, pleased with the grit.
“They ruined my speech,” Moore joked. “I always tell them, ‘We give up 70 points, we lose.’ Tonight, we gave up 83 and we won. I don’t know what I’ll say now, but I’m really proud of them.”
No. 14 N.C. State (18-4, 10-1 ACC) and No. 10 Duke (17-5, 8-2) traded points in the first few minutes of play, but the Pack used a 10-1 run midway through the first quarter to jump out to a 10-point lead. With the Wolfpack’s aggressive play on both ends, things seemed to be favoring the home squad.
N.C. State shot 10-14 (71.4%) from the field in the first quarter, one of its most efficient quarters this season. On the other side, it held Duke to 6-17 (35.3%).
N.C. State immediately followed that up with one of its worst shooting quarters of the year. The Wolfpack scored eight points on 4-of-13 shooting (30.8%), unable to score its first point more than five minutes into the period, while Duke outscored the Pack 26-8 in the quarter to build an 11-points halftime lead.
After the break, defense turned out to be nonexistent in the early goings of the second half, when the two teams combined for 35 points in six minutes. Then, N.C. State used a 10-0 run to cut Duke’s lead to two points. It did so while holding the Blue Devils scoreless for more than four minutes.
The Wolfpack closed the game with a 31-point fourth-quarter performance to pick up the victory — with James scoring 15 points in the final period.
One particular stat that sticks out for N.C. State is its 36 fast break points. The team thrives on transition baskets, and those helped propel the Wolfpack to the upset.
“The way to beat a good defense is, don’t let it get set,” Duke head coach Kara Lawson said. “That’s not a secret. That’s a known thing. We just didn’t get it set enough.”
Lawson said she’s proud of the fight her young team showed in the matchup. The Blue Devils knew this would be a tough game — she credited N.C. State’s experience in its comeback — and hopes the team can learn from it.
“I’m proud of my group. We grew a lot tonight,” Lawson said. “We kind of took that first punch in the first quarter, and you’re kind of thinking, ‘OK are we going to steady ourselves?’ The response in that second quarter, I thought was really good to see as a coach. Then, down the stretch, they made the shots they needed to. We got open ones and we didn’t. Sometimes the game is as simple as that.”
Saniya Rivers contributed 13 points and a pair of blocks, and Zoe Brooks added 15 in the win. Hayes and Tilda Trygger pulled down seven rebounds apiece. Additionally, Lorena Awou stepped into the lineup late in the game and scored eight points and pulled down four rebounds.
Ashlon Jackson led the Blue Devils with 23 points, while Taina Mair added 21 points. The Blue Devils went 11 of 24 from the perimeter, hitting 50% or better from 3 in the first three quarters.
N.C. State held Toby Fournier to 11 points, five of which came from the free throw line. She leads the Blue Devils in scoring, with 12.7 points per game.
“When you play against a really good team, they expose you in different ways that maybe a bad team doesn’t,” Lawson said. “That allows you to make yourself that much stronger. That’s how we have to look at this game.”
Here are three takeaways from the in-state tussle.
Duke tests Wolfpack discipline
N.C. State entered Monday’s matchup as one of the most disciplined teams in the nation, while Duke entered as one of the most disruptive defensive teams. Something would have to give.
The Blue Devils caused havoc on the Wolfpack offense early.
N.C. State is one of the most disciplined teams in the nation with the ball. It only commits 12.1 turnovers per game this season and 10.9 in conference play.
But, Duke forced eight turnovers in the first 12 1/2 minutes and used them to score seven points. At halftime, the Pack had committed 12 turnovers and allowed the visitors to score nine points from those errors.
Brooks entered the game ranked third in the ACC in assist/turnover ratio, averaging 3.1 assists per turnover during conference play. At halftime, she had three turnovers and no assists.
The Blue Devils’ movement caused confusion and their hands were active, seeking deflections and pressuring the Wolfpack into bad decisions. Four of N.C. State’s turnovers were credited as Duke steals.
This has been a staple for the program under Kara Lawson, and the Blue Devils’ defensive success this season has hinged on its ability to force turnovers. Duke averages 20 opponent turnovers per game on the season and 22 in conference play. It also leads the league with a 7.7 turnover margin in ACC play.
Three Duke players rank in the ACC’s Top 25 for steals per game. Taina Mair leads the team with 2.2 steals per game, while Oluchi Okananwa and Jadyn Donovan contribute 3.7 per game.
N.C. State looked more like itself in the second half, limiting its turnovers significantly. The Wolfpack finished with just three second-half miscues, despite the Blue Devils’ best efforts.
Lawson said she didn’t agree with some of the calls and foul trouble impacted the defensive intensity down the stretch.
“We didn’t have the same energy that we normally do (in the second half),” Lawson said. “That’s not an excuse. That’s just a part of it. That’s the way the game unfolded. Hopefully, next time we’ll be able to not have the foul trouble.”
Duke outworks Pack on the glass
Like the turnovers, N.C. State and Duke entered the game on opposite sides when it came to rebounding.
The Wolfpack ranks third in total rebounds per game (41) and second in defensive rebounds per game (29.1). The Blue Devils are third in the ACC for offensive rebounds per game (15.1).
The two teams ended the first quarter tied at nine boards apiece, but Duke made its presence known in the second. The Blue Devils notched 22 first-half rebounds, 11 coming on each side, and scored 13 second chance points.
Comparatively, N.C. State finished with 17 rebounds. Four of those came on the offensive glass and were turned into four points.
“We talked about points off turnovers, and we talked about second chance points, because they were kicking our butts there,” Moore said of the team’s halftime conversation. “We were being outscored in those two areas by 14 at halftime, and we were down 11. There’s your game.”
The Wolfpack looked far better after the break, fighting for rebounds on both ends. Duke still out-rebounded N.C. State, 41-36, but the Pack ended up tied in the metric with both squads pulling down 19 boards in the second half and scored 16 second-chance points.
“I have so much respect for Kara Lawson and Duke. They’re one of the best defensive teams in the country. They’re unbelievable on the boards,” Moore said. “I told her, Pat Summitt would be proud of her, because she’s built that program the same way Pat did.”
This is a rivalry, too
ACC expansion means women’s teams only have one protected rivalry for a single home-and-home series. Duke and North Carolina are considered rivals under the new scheduling format. N.C. State and Wake Forest are rivals. Based on the emotions at Reynolds — and the fact the Wolfpack and Blue Devils play once in the regular season — it’s hard to argue this matchup isn’t a rivalry.
Moore and Lawson spent plenty of time arguing with officials after calls they didn’t agree with. James, Rivers and Hayes all reacted emphatically after big plays, often motioning to the crowd. Awou stomped her feet and yelled after pulling down an offensive rebound and making a layup through traffic to put the Pack up two with less than three minutes to play.
On the opposite side, Duke had no problem showing emotions — positive and negative — throughout the game. Ashlon Jackson jumped in the air in frustration after sending James to the line for three free throws.
“It’s a rivalry,” James confirmed. “Today meant a lot for us, so we didn’t want it to go a different way. We had to lock in and stay focused and chip away.”
This story was originally published February 3, 2025 at 9:31 PM.
