NC State
2-2,0-0ACC
TCU
4-0,0-0Big 12
Pack’s Late Game Comeback Falls Short at TCU
11/17/2024 5:26:00 PM | Women's Basketball
FORT WORTH, Texas – NC State women's basketball fell to TCU, 76-73, on Sunday afternoon. The Pack was down by as many as 12 points, but a late 14-3 run by NC State pulled the Pack to within one with 44 seconds left in the game. NC State had two open looks for three, but could not knock them down for the lead or tie. Three different players scored in double digits, led by Aziaha James who registered 27 points off the bench.
For the fourth straight time to start the season, the Pack won the tipoff, which set up for a Zamareya Jones jumper on the first possession. After that jumper, the Pack was held in a scoring drought for 2.5 minutes until Saniya Rivers made her way through the lane for a layup. Jones then converted a 3-point play off a jumper through contact. At the media timeout, NC State trailed, 10-9. Aziaha James then came off the bench to score a pair of jumpers, and at the end of quarter, NC State led, 18-15.
TCU retook the lead after starting the second quarter on a 6-2 run. James and Zoe Brooks then answered with a back-to-back triples and James took it to the lane for a layup, as the Pack cruised on an 8-2 run. The Horned Frogs then knocked down back-to-back triples to retake the lead, forcing the Pack to take a timeout, trailing 29-28 with 3:54 left in the second quarter. TCU kept up the momentum to stretch it to a 10-0 run, as the Pack called another timeout, trailing 33-28 with 1:37 remaining in the half. A Madison Hayes triple to cut it to a one-score game at the half, 33-31, in advantage of the Horned Frogs.
TCU pulled ahead by six following a triple, but James quickly responded with a 3-pointer of her own. James logged back-to-back 3-pointers and Jones knocked down one of her own, but the Horned Frogs would answer on each possession, as TCU went 5-of-5 from that stretch. At the media timeout taken with 3:13 left in the quarter, NC State trailed, 53-47. TCU closed out the quarter on a 9-5 run to lead by 10, 62-52, going into the fourth quarter. The Horned Frogs outscored the Pack 29-21 and shot 66.7 from the field in the third.
The Horned Frogs jumped out to a 12-point lead, but back-to-back takes by Rivers and James' fifth 3-pointer of the game climbed the Pack to within seven with 7:09 left in the game. The Horned Frogs then made back-to-back baskets to pull TCU's lead back to 11 with 5:56 left in the game. Rivers knocked down a turnaround jumper and Brooks had a layup out of the timeout. A Hayes 3-pointer followed by a James layup off a fast break and Brooks layup made it a one-point game with 44 seconds left in the game. Following Brooks' layup, the Pack got a quick steal and kicked it out for a 3-pointer, but the Pack couldn't knock in down. TCU was able to get a layup off a defensive breakdown, and with eight seconds left, the Pack had a chance to tie the game in regulation. With another look, the Pack couldn't knock it down and fell, 76-73.
PACK FACTS
- James registered her 15th 20-point game in her career, her second consecutive one in as many games, with 27 points off 10-of-18 from the field and 5-of-11 from 3-point, with five boards, two assists and one steal off the bench
- Rivers logged 16 points, five rebounds, two assists and one block and steal
- Brooks recorded 15 points, six rebounds and three assists
- Hayes played in her 100th game at NC State, finishing the game with six points off 2-of-3 from 3-point with five boards
- The game had 11 lead changes and five ties
UPCOMING
NC State will be back at Reynolds Coliseum on Thursday, Nov. 21 to face Coastal Carolina for a 5 p.m. tipoff. Tickets can be purchased HERE.
