#12 NC State Wins Crucial Game Against #19 Syracuse 75-71 in OT

#12 NC State (24-5/12-5) defeated #19 Syracuse (23-6/13-5) tonight in Reynolds Coliseum 75-71 in OT. This marks the 7th time this season that the Wolfpack have beaten a ranked opponent. After losing back-to-back games to rivals UNC and Duke, this is a massive win for the Pack with one game in the regular season remaining.

Junior Guard Saniya Rivers led the Pack with 22 points, scoring 10 of them from the free throw line. She also had 8 rebounds, and her 5 assists tied for a team high.

Senior Forward Mimi Collins had 15 points, shooting 7 of 13 from the field.

Senior Center River Baldwin had 13 points and 13 rebounds, which is a new career high for her on the glass. This was Baldwin’s 10th double-double of the season.

Freshman Guard Zoe Brooks might have only scored 8 points, but her impact on the defensive end might have been the most significant impact by any Wolfpack player tonight. After Syracuse’s Dyaisha Fair scored 13 of her 26 points in the first 10 minutes or so,  Brooks began covering her for most of the rest of the contest. NC State was +9 with Brooks on the court, which was a team high. She also tied for the team high in assists (5).

This was a gritty win for the Wolfpack when they needed one desperately. Syracuse led for 24:18, compared to NC State’s 13:57, but all that matters at the end is who has the most points when the final seconds tick off the clock.

The Wolfpack will host Wake Forest on Sunday in their regular season finale at 2pm. If they defeat the Demon Deacons on Sunday, they will enter the ACC Tournament as the #2 seed.