Sports
Pack Women's Basketball Improves to 3-0, Dominates Elon 90-35 … – NC State Athletics
NC State
Elon
11/15/2023 9:24:00 PM | Women's Basketball
RALEIGH – No. 14 NC State women’s basketball (3-0) pushed its win streak to three-straight victories on Wednesday evening with a 90-35 decision over in-state foe Elon (1-2) in Reynolds Coliseum.
Aziaha James led the way for the Wolfpack with 20 points, while Mimi Collins added 18 on a perfect eight-for-eight from the field in addition to 15 points from Madison Hayes. A strong offensive performance from NC State was aided by a career-best seven assists from Saniya Rivers, while Maddie Cox contributed to the Pack out-rebounding the Phoenix 57-20 by collecting a game-high nine rebounds.
The Pack got moving quickly, jumping out to a fast 7-0 run to open the game while forcing Elon into a timeout after just 1:31 of action. NC State used separate runs of 7-0, 15-0 and 14-0 in the opening two quarters to push its lead to as many as 30 in the first half, carrying a 44-14 lead into the halftime break.
Collins, Hayes and James had each already hit double digits in scoring by the time the Wolfpack made its way to the locker room for halftime, with Collins and James each matching Elon’s halftime total of 14 points after the opening two periods while Hayes had totaled ten points at the break.
NC State’s defense had an equally-productive showing in the first half, holding the Phoenix scoreless for a 6:49 stretch that ranged from the :05 mark in the first quarter to the 3:16 point in the second frame. The Pack forced Elon into three turnovers while limiting the Phoenix to a 1-of-15 (6.7%) shooting performance in the second quarter, resulting in just two points.
The two points allowed by the Pack marked the lowest in a quarter since NC State limited Wake Forest to a one-point second period in a 65-50 win in Winston-Salem on Jan. 8, 2017, while the 14 points surrendered to Elon marked the fewest given up by the Wolfpack in a half since Nov. 13, 2022, when NC State held Mount Saint Mary’s to a 13-point first half in an 86-38 win.
The Wolfpack cruised comfortably in the second half, outscoring the Phoenix 46-21 over the final 20 minutes while stretching its lead to as many as 57 points at 90-33. NC State saw season-high totals of assists with 19, bench points with 29, paint points at 48 and second-chance points with 19. The Pack also matched its best free-throw percentage in program history, going a perfect 17-of-17 at the charity stripe to register a perfect 100 percent.
Having now won 11 straight non-conference games in Reynolds Coliseum, NC State will now shift its focus to the final leg of its four-game homestand with a Sunday afternoon matinee against Rhode Island on deck on Nov. 19. Tip-off for this weekend’s tilt between the Wolfpack and Rams is slated for 2 p.m. and will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra.