By STEVE REED AP Sports Writer

After an absence, North Carolina State finds itself in a familiar place once again – Greensboro, North Carolina.

On Saturday, the 10th-ranked Wolfpack defeated Florida State 69-43, with Aziaha James scoring 23 points and Mimi Collins contributing 17 points and 13 rebounds. This win secured their spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game, marking their fourth appearance in the last five years.

NC State’s number two seed team was supported by River Baldwin’s contribution of seven points and 11 rebounds. The team has now achieved four consecutive victories after experiencing back-to-back losses by double digits on the road against North Carolina and Duke last month.

NC State had 58 total rebounds, compared to Florida State’s 32, and also limited the Seminoles to shooting just 25% from the field.

Collins commented, “Our defense was really locked in.”

The Wolfpack (27-5) are set to take on the 14th-ranked Notre Dame in the championship game on Sunday. The fourth-seeded Irish dominated the previous game against defending tournament champions, 11th-ranked Virginia Tech, with a score of 82-53. This victory was achieved despite the absence of three-time ACC player of the year, Elizabeth Kitley.

On February 15, NC State defeated Notre Dame with a score of 59-43 in South Bend, Indiana.

NC State coach Wes Moore expressed that Notre Dame has been performing exceptionally since their previous matchup, which propelled them for their current streak. He also mentioned that the upcoming game will be highly competitive.

Zoe Brooks, guard for the Wolfpack, stated, “I am looking forward to facing them once more. In our previous matchup, we had a strong defensive strategy against them and were able to neutralize their key players.”

Moore expressed satisfaction with James’ performance in the ACC tournament. She tallied 16 points in NC State’s 54-51 victory against Duke on Friday evening.

According to Moore, the individual put in a lot of effort during the summer by dedicating ample time to the gym. With this dedication, came an increase in confidence. Moore consistently encourages the individual to remember that the more they work hard, the more fortunate they become. As a result of their hard work, they are currently experiencing good luck.

Florida State’s Ti’Naya Latson scored 16 points as her team (26-6) prepares for their NCAA Tournament seeding announcement.

In both 2020 and 2021, the Wolfpack emerged as champions of the ACC, but they were unable to advance to the title game in the previous season of 2002.

They have returned and are seeking to reclaim their superiority.

On Saturday, NC State heavily relied on River Baldwin, consistently feeding the ball to the 6-foot-5 center who had a considerable height advantage. Baldwin’s presence allowed James and Collins to have more opportunities to take shots.

The opening moments were dominated by NC State.

Saniya Rivers scored a 3-pointer within the first two minutes, giving the Wolfpack a 6-5 advantage that they maintained until the end.

NC State pushed its lead to 20-11 after the first quarter behind 11 points from Collins, then extended the lead to 15 after James buried a 3-pointer from the left wing in the closing seconds of the first half. That momentum carried over to the second half, with Rivers knocking down a jumper at the end of the third quarter to give the Wolfpack a 50-29 lead.

In the third quarter, Florida State only scored nine points.

“We were unable to make successful shots,” stated Florida State coach Brooke Wyckoff. “Additionally, we let our opponents score too many points in the painted area. Our team did not effectively provide assistance on defense.”

BIG PICTURE

The Florida State team, also known as the Seminoles, had a strong performance leading up to the semifinals with a record of six victories in their last seven games. They have a history of making it to the NCAA Tournament, having done so 18 out of the past 19 years, but they will need to work on regaining their momentum.

North Carolina State University performed exceptionally well in both rebounding and defense, which will greatly benefit them in the upcoming NCAA tournament.

Source: wralsportsfan.com