South Raleigh News

NC State women's basketball team secured a convincing victory over Southern with a 77-47 win in the opening game of the Baha Mar Pink Flamingo Championship in Nassau, Bahamas. The decisive fourth quarter saw NC State outscore Southern 32-9, following a narrow seven-point lead at the start of the period. Zoe Brooks led NC State's scoring with 17 points.

The team dominated in various aspects of the game, including points off turnovers (21-4), points in the paint (36-16), and second-chance points (9-0). They also controlled fast breaks (6-0) and bench points (30-10) while outrebounding Southern 42-31.

The match began with NC State winning its sixth consecutive tipoff, although they faced early challenges as Southern took an initial lead. Madison Hayes ended a scoring drought for NC State with a layup, and by the end of the first quarter, both teams were tied at 14.

NC State pulled ahead early in the second quarter but experienced another dry spell before Brooks added crucial points to secure a halftime lead. In the third quarter, Saniya Rivers contributed significantly by capitalizing on steals and extending NC State's advantage. Despite a brief resurgence from Southern, NC State closed out strongly to lead by seven entering the final period.

A strong performance in the fourth quarter saw Zamareya Jones initiate a critical run that solidified their victory. Tilda Trygger capped off this dominant display with her jumper extending NC State's largest lead to 34 points.

Head coach Wes Moore remarked on his team's performance: "I thought in the first half, [Southern] played harder than we did... Hopefully we learn from it." He also commented on Aziaha James' recovery after an early setback: "I think she is fine... we need her to play well."

Looking ahead to their next opponent, Moore noted potential challenges against either LSU or Washington: "Obviously I peeped ahead and watched a little film on [LSU]... It's not going to be fun." He acknowledged Washington's shooting capabilities as well.

Brooks' performance was complemented by contributions from other key players like Aziaha James and Zamareya Jones. The team aims to continue their momentum into Wednesday’s championship game against either LSU or Washington.