Aziaha James come up clutch, NC State defeats UNC in overtime

A hard-to-break press, several clutch threes and a game-tying layup by Aziaha James helped NC State stage a miraculous comeback in the fourth quarter and defeat UNC 77-66 at a raucous Reynolds Coliseum Thursday night. 

North Carolina built a lead of as many as 10 points in the fourth quarter, but the Wolfpack outscored UNC 40-22 in the final period and overtime, headlined by 13 points by James. The sophomore guard tied the game in regulation and took the lead in overtime on a pair of tough layups, cementing herself in Wolfpack history with a thrilling rivalry win. 

NC State fell into a 0-6 hole early in the game but battled back behind 7 points from Jakia Brown-Turner, who tied James with a team-leading 18 points in the victory, to take a 13-12 lead on a layup by the senior wing. UNC turned the ball over 4 times, which helped the Wolfpack take a narrow 15-14 lead into the second quarter. 

The Pack picked up where it left off in the following period, forcing a turnover and immediately expanding its lead on another James jumper. After North Carolina scored 5-consecutive points to retake the lead, Mimi Collins and Madison Hayes both scored to put NC State back on top. 

Bench and fast break points were huge for the Wolfpack in the first half. NC State outscored the Tar Heels 12-2 in the latter category over the first 2 quarter. The lead changed hands 8 times in the opening periods, with UNC reclaiming the lead in the final minute on a steal followed by a layup.

NC State finished the matchup with a whopping 32-7 edge in fast break points. 

North Carolina took a 30-29 advantage at halftime. The Pack led for a significant portion of the quarter despite shooting 35.7 percent in the period. Going into the break, Brown-Turner led all scorers with 9 points. James also added 6 points, and Saniya Rivers led the team with 5 rebounds and 4 points as well. Rivers finished the matchup with 8 points, 7 rebounds and a team-high 5 assists.

In the third quarter, the Wolfpack offense went ice-cold. Going into a media timeout with 4:40 to go in the period, the Wolfpack trailed 39-33. Jada Boyd scored the only field goal in the quarter to that point and accounted for all 4 points. During that cold stretch, the Tar Heels shot 50 percent and opened up a lead of as many as 9. 

NC State hit a few timely shots in the quarter, including a fast break layup by Rivers, but UNC answered almost every time. At the end of the period, North Carolina led 44-37 after the Pack scored just 8 points in the period. 

A few missed free throws in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter helped UNC build a double-digit lead, but that’s where the Wolfpack comeback began. 

Boyd converted a pair of layups, Mimi Collins, who led the team in rebounds with 8 in 23 minutes, hit a three and James hit a pair of free throws to cut the lead to 3. North Carolina answered, but then Brown-Turner hit consecutive three in the final 1:38. 

With 17 seconds left, the Tar Heels missed a free throw and, coming out of a timeout, James converted a tough layup to tie the game with 13 seconds left. UNC turned the ball over twice, one of which led to a missed Wolfpack layup that would have put the hosts ahead. 

James and Brown-Turner continued their clutch performances in overtime, scoring the first 9 Wolfpack points of the extra period. NC State outscored North Carolina 15-4 to secure the win. 

The final seconds.

Reynolds ⚡️ ⚡️ ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/cyOyGjEVeC

— Ethan McDowell (@ethanmmcdowell) February 17, 2023

Going into the final three games of the regular season, the Pack stands 18-8 on the year and 8-7 in the ACC.

The Wolfpack’s tough end of the season schedule continues Sunday, Feb. 19, on the road at No. 11 Virginia Tech. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m..