Youth movement propels NC State: Three takeaways from the Pack’s win over Wake Forest
Aziaha James finished with fewer than 10 points for the first time all season — but N.C. State didn’t need them. Her younger teammates stepped up.
A little less than a year ago, Wake Forest gave N.C. State a scare at Reynolds Coliseum, scoring 31 points in the third quarter. But the Wolfpack scored 27 points and held the Demon Deacons to 10 in the fourth to pull off an 18-point win.
Wake Forest (8-13, 1-9 ACC) gave No. 17 N.C. State another scare in the first half Thursday night in Winston-Salem.
The Pack’s leaky defense to start the game allowed the Deacs to take a 10-point lead early in the second quarter.
But N.C. State (17-4, 9-1 ACC) locked in defensively and scored in the paint to earn the comeback win. The Wolfpack defeated the Deacs, 90-83, in Memorial Coliseum to extend its win streak to six games. It felt a lot like the matchup last March.
Freshman Tilda Trygger helped the Wolfpack start the game on a 6-0 run, before Wake Forest responded. N.C. State’s defense lacked intensity for the first 14 minutes of play, as it allowed the Deacs to take a 25-21 lead at the end of one and go up 10 early in the second quarter.
Wake Forest’s Rylie Theuerkauf scored 21 points in the first half on 8-10 shooting. She started 8-8 from the field and finished with a game-high 25 points.
The Wolfpack found its defense, though, halting Wake Forest’s momentum.
N.C. State then scored seven straight to end the first half before adding 14 consecutive to start the second. N.C. State went on a 21-0 run between the two periods. Once the Pack retook a lead, it never looked back and extended its advantage to as many as 24 points.
“The energy changed second quarter. They shouldn’t be beating us in the first quarter,” guard Zamareya Jones said. “Picking up our energy, playing defense, getting stops, and the transition pulled us back into the game.”
Wake Forest made things interesting down the stretch, cutting N.C. State’s lead to single digits after head coach Wes Moore pulled the Wolfpack starters. The Deacs scored 34 points in the final period, but Moore did not replace his bench players down the stretch and made them work through the run.
Moore said he probably should’ve rotated the younger players in one at a time, calling it “not fair” to put that on them. He wanted to get them all in the game since the team had such a big lead but acknowledged it wasn’t an enjoyable experience.
“I’ll take the blame for that, but (I) did want to definitely get them out there and and give them an opportunity,” Moore said. “That’s the future, and they’re going to have to learn to compete at this level.”
Jones said she didn’t mind being on the floor and thinks it was beneficial.
“That definitely helped us in the long run, to have confidence with us, to keep us in the game, to secure the win,” Jones said. “He just trusted his freshman and his bench, and we just came out and secured the dub.”
N.C. State forced 17 Wake Forest turnovers and scored 29 points from the Deacs’ miscues. It also out-rebounded the Demon Deacons, 36-22, including 15 on the offensive end for 13 second-chance points. Wake averages 27 rebounds per game in conference play, ranking last in the ACC. That number will drop after its rough outing against its rival.
Sophomore Zoe Brooks led the N.C. State scoring effort, recording 18 points on 6 of 12 shooting. She added four rebounds and five assists. The freshman Jones knocked down several free throws down the stretch to finish right behind Brooks with 17 points. Trygger and senior Saniya Rivers and also finished in double figures. Madison Hayes led the team with seven rebounds.
N.C. State and Wake Forest will meet again at Reynolds Coliseum later this season. This is the only protected rivalry for the two teams. Unlike the men’s ACC schedule, which has three home-and-home series, the women only have one. Duke and North Carolina play twice, while the Wolfpack and Demon Deacons are paired up. N.C. State plays Duke and UNC once.
Here are three takeaways from N.C. State’s comeback victory.
The Zs shine on offense
N.C. State probably would not have beaten Wake Forest without the efforts of Jones and Brooks, who showed off their star power in the Wolfpack’s commanding win on Thursday, combining for 35 points. The duo notched 20 points in the first half alone.
Brooks proved once again to be a threat on the inside, scoring all of her points on layups or through free throws. The sophomore actually didn’t start the game well, going scoreless in the first quarter and committing a turnover. Brooks, however, didn’t let her confidence waver and turned on the jets to help propel her team to victory.
Brooks said a Wake Forest fan actually helped motivate her.
“He was just talking junk,” the sophomore said. “I’ve always hated when people just disrespect me so that flipped the switch, because I was I wasn’t doing well before that, so I’m actually thankful for him.”
Jones came off the bench and looked comfortable in her first matchup against the Deacs. She knocked down a pair of clutch 3s and knocked down the layup that regained the Wolfpack lead in the second period. Beyond their scoring, the duo was disruptive on defense and made the Deacs players uncomfortable.
Moore previously said with the concerns at the five position, he could see himself playing five guards. The way Brooks and Jones played, it certainly wouldn’t hurt the Pack to at least try using the two along with Rivers, Hayes and James.
Pack needs more from Collier
Mallory Collier came off the bench for the Wolfpack, replacing Trygger at the post. Collier started four games earlier this season, but she has not shown nearly as much improvement as Trygger.
Collier, a sophomore, played nine minutes in the first half. She scored four points on 2 of 2 shooting and pulled down a rebound. The center, however, has not shown the toughness necessary to be the Wolfpack’s primary post player.
Wake Forest entered the game as one of the worst teams in the ACC, averaging just 60.6 points per game in conference play, and yet the Demon Deacons looked like an offensive powerhouse against N.C. State. They scored 41 in the first half.
That doesn’t all fall on Collier. Everyone on the floor had a hand in the poor defensive start, but she didn’t help. Collier was hesitant to initiate any contact and appeared to give up on defensive plays before the opposing player got the shot off.
Additionally, Collier’s movements felt slow; like she was a half-second behind everyone else. She finished with six points on 3-3 shooting in 13 minutes of play.
Collier has shown toughness at times — and she’s relatively efficient when shooting under the basket — but her inconsistency is worrisome. The Wolfpack has great guard play and her counterpart in Trygger has shown more consistency and toughness, including against the Deacs. Collier needs to provide a similar level of play if N.C. State is to make a run in March.
Wolfpack capitalizes on Wake fouls
N.C. State used free throws during every phase of the game against Wake Forest — to take an early lead, to remain competitive when the Deacs surged and to build on its second-half lead.
The Deacs entered the game committing 16 fouls per game, ranking No. 120 out of 351 Division I teams and No. 10 in the league. N.C. State took advantage, regularly driving in the lane and drawing contact.
The Wolfpack went 22-33 (66.7%) from the free throw line after officials called the Demon Deacons for 22 fouls. Those played a big difference in the game, especially down the stretch, when the underclassmen were forced to close the game.
The Wolfpack entered the game averaging 66.5% from the free throw line on the season, which ranks No. 293 in the nation. The team has shot better in conference play, making 71% of its attempts from the stripe, so its efficiency was lacking against Wake Forest. This is an area the Pack will need to improve on in the final month of the regular season.
This story was originally published January 30, 2025 at 8:34 PM.
