By Bob Sutton

On Sunday, the No. 3 women’s team at North Carolina State defeated Liberty with a score of 80-67, thanks in part to freshman guard Zoe Brooks, who recorded the second-ever triple-double in the school’s history.

In her debut start, Brooks filled in for the star player Saniya Rivers and delivered 14 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists.

Brooks stated that in college, achieving a triple-double is more significant compared to middle school or high school. He made sure to distribute the ball to his teammates while minimizing turnovers. Seeing his teammates successfully make shots also greatly benefited him.

In the game, Aziaha James earned a total of 18 points, while Madison Hayes and Mimi Collins contributed 15 points each. Additionally, Laci Steele, who came off the bench, also scored 10 points. This win brings N.C. State’s record to 10-0, marking the fourth time in 11 seasons under coach Wes Moore.

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Although Brooks had a poor shooting performance of 2 for 10, he was able to make valuable contributions in various other areas.

Moore praised the way she performed in the starting role, stating that she did an excellent job of leading the team.

Her team-high rebound total was likely the most impressive part.

Moore commented that she had six offensive rebounds, even though she was not expected to go for them.

Asia Boone scored 17 points, Emma Hess had 15 points, and Bella Smuda had 14 points and 15 rebounds for Liberty (3-7). Unfortunately, they lost to a Top 25 team for the 41st time in a row.

Due to an injury, Rivers, who has an average of 13.7 points and leads the team with 4.4 assists per game, observed from the sidelines.

The Flames were close to achieving liberty at a score of 45-42, but then failed to score for four possessions. This allowed Brooks to make a three-point play and extend the lead to 52-42. This contributed to N.C. State’s 15-5 run towards the end of the third quarter.

The Flames made a comeback, but Hayes secured a three-point play with 2:14 left, giving them a 71-63 lead.

The Liberty coach, Carey Green, stated that the game was a close one with five points and that his team had chances to win. However, they ended up allowing 80 points, which he acknowledges is credit to N.C. State. He also mentioned that there were many easy shots for the opposing team, which they successfully made.

At halftime, N.C. State was ahead 37-31 following a 11-3 run by Liberty. In the first half, half of the Wolfpack’s 14 field goals were scored from 3-point range.

Before the beginning of the fourth quarter at Reynolds Coliseum, the Wolfpack’s on-campus facility, a 22-minute delay occurred due to a leaky roof causing a wet court.

BIG PICTURE

The Liberty team has faced tough competition and has not achieved many favorable outcomes, but they have demonstrated the ability to compete with some of the best teams in the country. This was their sixth game against a team that made it to the NCAA Tournament in 2023, marking a challenging schedule for the season.

The Wolfpack from N.C. State showed a strong offensive performance in the first quarter, despite changes to their lineup. However, they struggled to score in the second half, only making 7 out of 26 2-point attempts. This was their last nonconference home game.

UP NEXT

On Wednesday, Liberty will be hosting Radford.

NC State will travel to South Florida this Saturday to kick off a series of three away games in a row.

Source: wralsportsfan.com