NC State got off to a quick start and put Wake Forest away early on Thursday night, wisely electing not to play with its food like it did in Winston-Salem. Aziaha James led the way with a hot start from beyond the arc, and the Wolfpack delivered the kill shot with an 11-0 run in the second quarter.
State’s guards had Wake Forest on skates in the first meeting and there was more of that tonight, as the Deacs again provided little resistance defensively. NC State outscored Wake 27-10 in the second quarter on the way to a 48-point half.
she means business. @ZamareyaJones pic.twitter.com/1wQ8QsvnID
— NC State WBB (@PackWomensBball) February 28, 2025
Wake Forest couldn’t mount a challenge in the second half, either, which allowed the Wolfpack to take its foot off the gas and inject a heavy dose of the bench. Wake looked really good offensively in the first meeting but got all out of sorts in the second quarter tonight and never recovered.
James cooled off as the night progressed but still led the team with 21 points. Madison Hayes also had a solid senior night, scoring 14 and grabbing nine boards. Zoe Brooks scored 17 on 5-8 shooting.
The victory completed an unblemished run at home, and hey look what we have here, Notre Dame went and lost to Florida State, opening the door for NC State to grab the No. 1 seed for the ACC tournament. All the Pack has to do is beat SMU on Sunday, and should the Irish drop their finale against Louisville, the Pack will take the regular season crown outright.