Written by AARON BEARD, AP Basketball Writer.

Raleigh, N.C.

Aziaha James appeared calm and composed as she prepared for her shots on Sunday. Even the fourth-ranked North Carolina State team had the opportunity to relax in the beginning.

James achieved a personal best of 33 points and the Wolfpack capitalized on 24 points from turnovers to defeat Duke 72-57, bouncing back from their previous loss against Miami.

As a 5-foot-9 junior guard, James had a successful game, making 12 out of 20 shots, including three 3-pointers. She also matched her best performance on the boards with eight rebounds.

Wes Moore, the coach of the Wolfpack team, commented, “After seeing the ball go through the net a few times, the goal now appears to be as small as a children’s swimming pool.”

In the Miami game, James had a shooting percentage of 2 out of 16 and was unsuccessful in all six of her 3-point attempts. However, after some extra practice in the gym, she regained her confidence and made a successful 3-pointer from a pass by Zoe Brooks just before the end of the first quarter.

“That really boosted my momentum,” James stated.

Mimi Collins contributed 16 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks to the Wolfpack’s (16-2, 4-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) score. N.C. State was also boosted by Saniya Rivers’ impressive performance on the court, with nine points, six rebounds, five assists, and seven steals. Additionally, forward River Baldwin returned from an ankle injury that had kept her out of the previous three games.

Kennedy Brown tallied 14 points for the Blue Devils (12-6, 4-3), following a victory against No. 14 Virginia Tech at home. However, they struggled in the beginning with a succession of turnovers in the first quarter.

Duke finished with 19 turnovers and struggled to make shots through the first three quarters. The Blue Devils shot 32.6% through 30 minutes before a better-shooting fourth, though the Blue Devils already were down 59-38.

“Without a doubt, we lacked flow on offense during the first quarter,” stated Duke coach Kara Lawson.

“They’re very good in transition, very good at running at you. I just thought we were hurried more than anything and that forced those travels and moving-screen calls.”

BIG PICTURE

Duke’s basketball team, the Blue Devils, came into their game with a strong momentum after winning three consecutive league games. In their last two matchups, they held both Georgia Tech and the highly-touted Hokies to a low score of only 46 points. However, turnovers proved to be their downfall against an opponent who was gaining momentum and had the support of a packed home crowd.

N.C. State: The Wolfpack began the season with a 14-0 record, but have recently suffered two losses in their last three games. The first loss was a close defeat to Virginia Tech in the final seconds, followed by a 73-59 loss to the Hurricanes on Thursday.

Moore stated that it was important for us to face a highly assertive team and demonstrate resilience. He expressed pride in the team for accomplishing this.

JAMES’ DAY

Twice in the fourth quarter, Duke managed to narrow the score gap to 13 points. However, James had an answer ready each time.

At the 6:13 mark, she exceeded her previous record of 26 points by making three free throws when Duke had closed the gap to 62-49. With 2:40 remaining, she scored again to reach 30 points and secure a 69-54 lead for the Wolfpack.

UP NEXT

Duke: The Blue Devils host No. 15 Florida State on Thursday.

On Thursday, Clemson will be hosting the Wolfpack from N.C. State.

Source: wralsportsfan.com