Not pretty, but effective.
NC State didn’t have it’s A-game offensively, and for three quarters it could not shake Vermont, but fortunately the Wolfpack saved its best for the final quarter, outscoring the Catamounts 23-9 over the last 10 minutes to finally pull away.
State didn’t shoot the ball well this afternoon but eventually its decided advantage in every other aspect of the game paid dividends. The defensive effort was good in the fourth quarter also, and Vermont scored just three points over the last five minutes (none in the final three).
NC State turned the ball over just four times, finishing +9 in that category, which was a big difference-maker. Add the strong offensive rebounding to that, and you get 10 more shots from the field and 18 more free throw attempts than Vermont. That’s how you overcome a sub-par shooting effort to still win a game comfortably.
State’s 42.0 eFG% was its third-worst mark of the season, yet the Pack still put up 1.16 points per possession, which is an excellent number. Good teams can win games in a variety of ways, and NC State put that on full display today.
Zoe Brooks led State with 19 points on 8-16 shooting (7-13 on twos), while Saniya Rivers (7-14 on twos) scored 15 and grabbed 12 boards. Aziaha James didn’t make a three after canning one in the first couple minutes, but still finished with 15. Madison Hayes did her usual dirty work and grabbed 12 boards, to go with her nine points. She was 2-4 from three as well.
There’s plenty about this game that Wes Moore won’t like, but the finish offered some things to build on heading to Monday.