NC State dominates Florida State. 3 takeaways from Pack’s ACC Tournament semifinal win
The Wolfpack faithful rose to their feet with 2:57 remaining in the game. They cheered as Lizzy Williamson entered the game for Aziaha James, signaling a semifinal win for N.C. State.
The No. 2 seed Wolfpack (27-5, 13-5 ACC) defeated No. 6 seed Florida State (23-10, 12-6 ACC), 69-43, on Saturday after tying its best defensive performance against an ACC opponent this season. The Pack held FSU to its lowest offensive output of the year.
N.C. State previously held Notre Dame to 43 points on Feb. 15, and its last 20-point margin of victory came against Pitt on Jan. 11.
“If we’re being honest, I was talking to [James] before the game. I said if we come out the way that we need to come out, and we hit them in the mouth first, no doubt we should win by at least 15,” Saniya Rivers said. “That’s not to say that they’re not a good team and they couldn’t beat us. But knowing our team, I had the confidence of what we are capable of. I knew that we could definitely beat them pretty good.”
One of the biggest numbers in the game came from N.C. State’s aggression off the glass. It out-rebounded FSU 58-32. Even when the team didn’t score off those rebounds — though it felt like it did a lot of that — it shifted momentum.
“I was around Pat Summitt a lot early in my career. She used to say, ‘Offense sells tickets, defense wins games, rebounding wins championships,’” N.C. State head coach Wes Moore said. “[Florida State] went and got two offensive boards. That’s amazing. I think they had 21 last night. This says a lot about the effort, just going out and competing on the boards and finding a way to get it done. So proud of them.”
James led the Wolfpack with 23 points on 10-of-18 shooting. Mimi Collins contributed a 17-point, 13- rebound double-double.
Zoe Brooks, a freshman, followed up her impressive performance Friday, adding seven points, three rebounds and four assists without a turnover.
Florida State’s Ta’Niya Latson recorded 16 points. She was the only Seminole in double figures.
N.C. State faces No. 4 seed Notre Dame at 1 p.m. Sunday. The Irish blew out Virginia Tech 82-53. It will be the Wolfpack’s 16th appearance in the ACC Tournament Championship game.
Here are three takeaways from the Pack’s big win.
Mimi Collins gives Pack initial lead
The graduate student got the N.C. State offense rolling early, scoring 11 first-quarter points to lead all players.
Collins’ ability to find the bucket helped the Wolfpack build a lead, especially with Florida State’s defenders limiting center River Baldwin. In fact, one of her game highlights will be Baldwin’s dish outside the double team to an open Collins under the basket.
She started the second quarter in similar fashion, finding an open layup and putting the Pack up 11 points. Collins ended the first half with 13 points and nine rebounds.
The forward took a step back in scoring late in the game, after her teammates found a rhythm, but Collins still contributed her fifth double-double of the season.
After its gritty win over Duke, multiple players said the team’s danger comes from depth. It showed that once again Saturday as Collins took control in the early minutes.
“She’s definitely underrated. She doesn’t get all the credit that she deserves, but that’s why we make sure, in here, we give her all the credit she deserves and more,” Rivers said of Collins. “She’s a great player. She deserves the recognition. I hope she gets drafted, because she deserves to be in the league and somebody would be lucky to have her.”
Wolfpack defense shuts down Seminoles
N.C. State always says its success starts on defense, and that explains why the Pack jumped out to a 15-point lead at halftime.
The team recorded four first-half kills, when the defense logs three straight stops — turnovers, missed shots or fouls. Those included two stretches with seven consecutive stops.
The Wolfpack held the Seminoles to 9-of-35 shooting (25.7%) in the first half, for just 20 points. No Florida State player had more than six points before the break.
Their effective defense continued into the second half, holding the Seminoles to eight points in the third, and 17 of 68 (25%) overall.
“The day before, we felt like we played really good D for about 10 minutes,” Moore said. “Today our goal was to play really good for 40 minutes. I just reminded them of that at halftime.”
Florida State entered the game ranked No. 1 in the ACC for scoring, averaging 76.7 points per game against league opponents. It scored 80 against the Wolfpack in the teams’ lone regular-season meeting. After playing three games in three days, FSU couldn’t get its offense rolling consistently.
Wolfpack offense felt fun and fluid
N.C. State coach Wes Moore said on Friday that there’s still a lot of room to grow and that the team hasn’t reached its ceiling. He also said it hadn’t played particularly well over the last several weeks. Its scoring took a step toward its goals against the Seminoles.
The Wolfpack’s offense played in sync for virtually the entire afternoon, a much-needed respite after several meat grinders.
It finished with 15 assists on 30 made baskets, while shooting above 44% from the field. The Wolfpack added 10 points in transition.
When it didn’t score on its attempts, N.C. State crashed the glass for 12 offensive rebounds and seven second-chance points.
The Wolfpack’s efficiency led to multiple substitutions down the stretch, with Moore playing all 11 available players. Freshmen Mallory Collier and Laci Steele contributed a bucket, while Williamson pulled down a rebound.
“It was obviously fun to get to hit the court at the ACC Tournament for the first time and go out there and have fun,” Williamson said. “Our teammates did a great job of getting that lead and securing it, so the bench could have a run. That was nice.”
“We support them. We’re so happy when they get to come in, especially when they score.,” Rivers said. “It brings the biggest smile to my face, and I’m sure everyone else was the same way.”
This story was originally published March 9, 2024 at 12:00 AM.
