According to KEN POWTAK of the Associated Press.

Chestnut Hill, Mass.

On Sunday, Aziaha James scored 24 points and helped No. 7 North Carolina State win with a score of 82-61 against Boston College, despite struggling with shooting while on the road.

Mimi Collins scored 17 points, Madison Hayes had 14 points and a career-high 14 rebounds, and Saniya Rivers contributed 15 points for the Wolfpack (18-2, 6-2 Atlantic Coast Conference). They earned their third consecutive win.

In the last four away games, James, a 5-foot-9 third-year guard, had difficulty with her shooting, failing to make any of her 17 three-point attempts and only converting 10 of 54 shots in total. However, on Sunday she improved, going 8 for 21 from the field and making 3 of 8 shots from beyond the three-point line.

“It’s a great feeling to be back,” James remarked, positioned on the court in front of her team’s bench, discussing her shooting. “I’ve been putting in the effort on my own and with the support of my teammates and coaches, it truly motivates me every day.”

Teya Sidberry was the top scorer for Boston College (11-11, 3-6) with 18 points, while Andrea Daley and T’yana Todd contributed 13 points each. The team’s leading scorer, Dontavia Waggoner, ended with 12 points.

The Wolfpack have maintained their spot in the top 10 of AP’s rankings for 10 weeks in a row, despite falling three places last Monday. They dominated the beginning of the second quarter, scoring 9 points in just over a minute to turn their 3-point lead into a double-digit advantage, their first of the game.

James began the run by successfully shooting a 3-pointer right in front of BC’s bench and finished it with a quick layup from a turnover, bringing the score to 25-13.

James scored a personal record of 33 points in a win against Duke on Sunday. She struggled at first, missing five out of six shots, but later made two 3-pointers and four of her next seven shots.

According to N.C. State coach Wes Moore, she is the type of player who gains confidence and momentum when she sees her shots going through the net. It’s encouraging to see her making those shots and it’s something our team needs.

Boston College utilized a combination of zone and man-to-man defense in an attempt to hinder N.C. State’s offensive momentum. This strategy proved effective initially as the Eagles were shooting at a 42.9% rate in the first quarter. However, the Wolfpack’s strong field-goal percentage defense, which is the best in the conference, caused the Eagles to struggle with making shots and resulted in turnovers in the second quarter.

“I was scheduled to participate in the shootaround at 7:30 a.m. I woke up at 5 a.m. and was contemplating whether or not it was the right decision,” Moore explained. “Ultimately, I chose not to attend the shootaround, which is unusual for us, and instead focused on conserving my energy. They may have earned the opportunity for extra rest in the future if we have an early shootaround.”

At the end of the first half, N.C. State was winning 42-26.

In the third quarter, James made a jump shot that extended N.C. State’s lead to 20 points, the largest lead they had in the game (60-40).

In the last quarter, BC made a short attempt to catch up, bringing the score to 65-54 with back-to-back 3-pointers from Daley.

“I believe it’s their enduring resilience,” stated BC coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee when discussing her team’s performance against challenging frontcourts. “They have demonstrated their ability, but it requires immense effort. It’s not just physical, but also mental.”

BIG PICTURE

The Wolfpack from N.C. State consistently shows strong scoring from all players, regardless of the opponent. As of Sunday, all five starters were averaging at least ten points.

Boston College is an average team in the middle of the conference and struggles when facing top teams in the ACC. Their last win against a top 10 team at home was 14 years ago against Duke, when they were ranked sixth.

UP NEXT

North Carolina State will be hosting the 20th-ranked North Carolina team on Thursday.

Boston College will be playing against Clemson on Thursday.

Source: wralsportsfan.com