No. 3 NC State women's basketball suffered its first loss of the season to No. 13 Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia 63-62.
After getting off to a 14-0 start to its 2023-34 campaign, NC State (14-1, 2-1 ACC) hit the road for its toughest road game of the season. After trading blows in the first half of the game, the Pack began to create some separation in the third quarter and in the beginning of the fourth. However, the Hokies (12-2, 3-0 ACC) completely took over in the majority of the fourth quarter and did just enough to spoil the hopes of an undefeated season for the Wolfpack.
After winning the tip, NC State drew first blood with a quick mid-range jumper to take an early 2-0 lead. Soon after, both teams traded blows inside the arc to knot the game at six apiece. In response, the Pack went on a 13-3 run over the ensuing three minutes. During which, the Pack asserted itself beyond the 3-point line with four 3-pointers which included a pair from freshman guard Laci Steele. This run helped NC State round out the first quarter with a 19-13 lead.
Despite a strong first quarter in which the Wolfpack saw success from deep, the second quarter was not as kind. To open the quarter, the Hokies rode a 6-0 run and tied the game at 19-19. The Pack on the other hand struggled to get any momentum going in the opening minutes as it turned the ball over three times in just as many minutes.
After nearly a three and a half minute scoring drought, the Pack finally got on the board as junior guard Saniya Rivers put in a nifty layup. A gritty sequence of events followed as senior guard Madison Hayes secured a steal and proceeded to cash in a 3-pointer to give the Pack a 26-21 lead. For the remainder of the half, the teams exchanged shots in the paint as the score sat at a 28-25 NC State lead at halftime.
Following the intermission, the Pack emerged reenergized and started the third quarter on a 9-2 run in the opening two minutes. Despite some pushes from Virginia Tech, the Pack continued to fend them off and mostly keep the margin at ten points. The Pack got its largest lead of the day nearly halfway through the quarter when freshman guard Zoe Brooks drove in and put in a tough layup to give NC State a 13-point lead.
For most of the game, the Pack had been mostly effective in limiting contributions from both guard Georgia Amoore and center Elizabeth Kitley. However, in the back half of the quarter, the pair combined for 13 points to help keep the Hokies within striking distance. Following the highest scoring quarter of the game, the Pack held a 52-45 lead as the game went into the home stretch.
When the fourth quarter began, it appeared that NC State would once again start off strong and grab momentum early on. After forcing an early turnover, Mimi Collins and Madison Hayes would each cash in a three on back to back possessions to give the Pack a 60-49 advantage. Finishing the game with 21 points, Hayes put together her career-high as she led the team in offensive firepower as she shot 7-9 from the floor which included 4-5 from three. She also finished one rebound shy of a double-double.
Following the 3-pointer from Hayes, the Pack committed three turnovers in the next minute which helped give the Hokies an avenue to chip away at the lead Amoore soon after cashed in a three to bring the score to 60-56. It was obvious the Pack would need to muster some offense to quell a 7-0 Hokie run. However, that was not to be as a mix of poor shot selection and mistakes prevented any offensive production.
While NC State's struggles continued, there were no answers for Amoore and Kitley as they continued to go to work and assert the Hokies presence. As the game clock hit 3:04, Amoore hit a mid-range jumper to put the Hokies within a point. Following multiple missed shots from the Pack, Amoore pulled up for a three but missed, however Kitley grabbed her rebound and scored a layup to give Virginia Tech its first lead of the afternoon at 61-60.
With the scoring drought nearing eight minutes, the Pack finally hit paydirt as Rivers went in for a challenging layup to give NC State a 62-61 lead with seven seconds remaining. After a slew of timeouts, the Hokies inbounded to Kitley who once again proved lights out in the paint as she scored the game-winning layup for Virginia Tech. The Hokies' duo combined for 48 of the team's 63 total points.
This contest was a tale of different quarters for these teams. After shooting 41% from the field and 36% from behind the arc in the first quarter, NC State saw a significant decline in the second frame. In the third quarter, the Pack put together one of its best performances of the season as it shot nearly 63%, and saw another decline in the fourth quarter. This proved to be the difference maker as NC State only shot 21% from the field in the fourth quarter.
The Pack will return to Reynolds Coliseum on Thursday, Jan. 11 to take on the Virginia Cavaliers. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be televised on ACC Network Extra.
https://www.technicianonline.com/sports/nc-state-women-s-basketball-drops-heartbreaker-at-virginia-tech/article_a99ea924-ada6-11ee-b2ab-9fa362da3b5f.html