Jaylynn Nash

Women's Basketball

Wolfpack Takes Down Tar Heels for Title Game Berth

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP)  – Aziaha James scored 19 points and No. 7 NC State jumped out to a big lead to beat No. 14 North Carolina 66-55 in the 2025 Ally ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament semifinals on Saturday, March 8.

Madison Hayes and reserve Lorena Awou each had 10 points as the Wolfpack (26-5) avenged a one-point regular-season road loss to the Tar Heels. NC State faces either No. 11 Duke or No. 6 Notre Dame in Sunday’s ACC Championship Game at First Horizon Coliseum (1 p.m. ET, ESPN).
 
Indya Nivar had 13 points and Maria Gakdeng had 10 points and 10 rebounds to lead North Carolina (27-7), which shot 27.9% from the field.
 
The Wolfpack rattled off the last 16 points of the first quarter for a 16-5 lead, delighting the decidedly pro-NC State crowd. The Tar Heels’ scoring drought extended for almost 11 minutes, creating a 21-5 hole.
 
Takeaways
North Carolina: The Tar Heels won two games in the tournament with a couple of comebacks following a two-game skid to end the regular season, when starters Alyssa Ustby and Reniya Kelly were out with injuries.
NC State: The Wolfpack will play in the ACC Championship Game for the fourth time in five years. To win it, they’ll have to defeat a ranked opponent for the seventh time this season.
 
Key Moment
James, who exited for a stretch after a hard first-quarter fall, scored the Wolfpack’s first six points of the second half to rebuild a double-figure lead after North Carolina made it 33-26 at halftime.
 
Key Stat
It marked the second day in a row that North Carolina was limited to five points in a quarter. Unlike against No. 22 Florida State in the quarterfinals, the Tar Heels couldn’t recover on Saturday.
 
Up Next
North Carolina awaits a bid to the NCAA Tournament as a probable first- and second-round host.
 
Of Note
  • NC State has reached the ACC Tournament Championship Game for the 19th time and the fifth time in the last six seasons. The Wolfpack improved to 19-10 all-time in the ACC Tournament semifinals.
  • The Wolfpack snapped a two-game losing streak to the Tar Heels and holds a 65-57 all-time edge in the rivalry. NC State is 8-7 all-time versus UNC in the ACC Tournament.