#1 Seed NC State Defeats Rival #5 Seed UNC, Advancing to 5th ACCT Finals in 6 Years

The No. 1-seeded NC State women’s basketball team defeated archrival No. 5 seed UNC 66-55 in the semifinals of the 2025 ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament this afternoon, advancing to its fifth finals appearance in the past six seasons. The Wolfpack now has a chance to win its fourth ACC Tournament title in six years.

After the Tar Heels opened the game on a 5-0 run, the Wolfpack responded with a stunning 21-0 run. UNC never regained the lead.

NC State’s defense was stifling, holding UNC to just 27.9% shooting from the field. The Wolfpack shot 40%.

Senior First Team All-ACC guard Aziaha James struggled with her shooting, making only 5 of 14 attempts from the field, but that didn’t stop her from leading the Pack in scoring with 19 points. She also led the team with nine rebounds.

NC State is known for its stellar guard play, but the Wolfpack got a huge boost from its post players this afternoon in Greensboro. Freshman center Lorena Awou came off the bench to score 10 points (4-for-5 FG), tying a career high. Freshman forward Tilda Trygger added eight points, making 3 of 4 shots from the field. Sophomore center Mallory Collier chipped in two points. In total, the Wolfpack’s frontcourt accounted for 30.3% of the team’s offensive production, well above its season average.

Senior guard Madison Hayes contributed 10 points, knocking down 2 of 5 from three-point range.

NC State will now kick back and watch No. 2 seed Notre Dame and No. 3 seed Duke battle it out to determine its opponent in tomorrow’s championship game. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. on ESPN.