By Associated Press

River Baldwin had a record-breaking performance of 26 points as No.10 North Carolina State secured another victory against a team ranked in the top 3 of the AP poll this month. They defeated No. 3 Colorado 78-60 at the Paradise Jam on Saturday.

In the first half, Baldwin scored 16 points and helped the Wolfpack (7-0) establish a lead of up to 27 points, leading to their second notable victory of the season. Earlier on November 12 in Raleigh, North Carolina, N.C. State defeated then-No. 2 UConn 92-81.

Baldwin, who had a previous personal record of 19 points in her freshman year at Florida State in 2019, shot 9 for 12 from the field and made all 8 of her free throw attempts. She also grabbed eight rebounds.

Baldwin expressed gratitude for the preparation and guidance provided by our coaches and staff. The team’s chemistry is evident and we were well aware of our responsibilities.

“We have been undervalued, as people were unsure of our potential at the beginning of this year. Our goal is to show everyone they were wrong.”

Aziaha James scored 13 points, Madison Hayes had 11 points and Madi Collins added 10 points for the Wolfpack, who scored the game’s first nine points and never trailed.

“We were predicted to come in eighth place in the ACC, and we were not even ranked just two weeks ago,” stated N.C. State coach Wes Moore. “I’ve been reminding them to stay motivated and focused, and to continue with their current efforts.” Currently, the team is prioritizing the success of the team as a whole, rather than seeking individual recognition.

Jaylyn Sherrod was the top scorer for the Buffaloes (6-1) with 20 points, while Frida Formann contributed 14 points. However, Aaronette Vonleh, who typically averages 18.3 points per game, only scored five points in this game.

North Carolina State limited Colorado to only 3 successful shots out of 17 attempts in the opening quarter, resulting in a strong 22-6 advantage for the Wolfpack by the end of the period, thanks to Collins’ successful 3-pointer with only 4 seconds left. The Wolfpack maintained their lead in the second quarter, with Hayes’ layup extending it to 29-6 at the 8:27 mark.

Moore expressed his thoughts by saying, “We should continue to push ourselves.” He acknowledged the strength of the opposing team and emphasized the importance of preventing them from gaining momentum and confidence. Overall, he was pleased with the team’s effort in achieving this.

The Colorado team reduced N.C. State’s advantage to 11 points after Sherrod made two successful free throws with 1:26 remaining. However, the Wolfpack extended their lead with two more free throws from Baldwin and a turnaround jump shot by Zoe Brooks with only 5 seconds left, ending the first half with a score of 41-26.

In the fourth quarter, N.C. State had their largest lead of the game after Aziaha James made a jump shot, putting them ahead 70-43 with 7:09 left. Colorado was unable to close the gap and the Wolfpack maintained a lead of at least 18 points until the end.

“The Buffaloes’ coach, JR Payne, acknowledged that they struggled with defending against transition plays, making it difficult for them to score. As a result, the other team was able to gain a significant advantage and the deficit quickly grew.”

BIG PICTURE

Colorado: The defeat will result in a slight decrease in the Buffaloes’ ranking in the AP Top 25 when the next poll is released on Monday, but they are likely to maintain a position in the top 10.

North Carolina State University: The Wolfpack have demonstrated in this unforgettable November that they are capable of competing against any team.

UP NEXT

Colorado will be hosting Boston University on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, N.C. State will be hosting Vanderbilt in the ACC/SEC Challenge.

Source: wralsportsfan.com