NC State's recent winning streak sets up anticipated Virginia Tech rematch
No. 16 Virginia Tech handed the No. 3 NC State women’s basketball team its first loss of the 2023-24 season in the final seconds of a contest the Pack has not forgotten. Center Elizabeth Kitley caught an inbounds pass with the game clock approaching 0 and floated the ball into the basket, giving the hosts a 63-62 win.
The result snapped the Wolfpack’s 14-0 undefeated start to the season. After the game, both coaches made it clear there’s a mutual respect between the two teams that are once again competing for an ACC championship.
The teams are 3-3 across their past six matchups and have played games in Raleigh, Blacksburg and Greensboro.
NC State defeated Virginia Tech in the 2022 ACC Tournament semifinals, paving the way for the Pack’s third consecutive conference championship. Less than a year later, Virginia Tech traveled to Raleigh and won at Reynolds Coliseum for the first time in program history.
The Wolfpack has not lost at home since that night — Feb. 19, 2023. With another chapter in an increasingly storied rivalry awaiting Thursday night, senior guard Madison Hayes looks forward to the chance to knock off the No. 1 team in the ACC. She scored 21 points in their last matchup — a career high she broke 18 days later.
“We’ve just got to be competitive,” Hayes said after NC State defeated Louisville Monday night. “We’ve got to want it more than they do, and I feel like we’ll work harder than them for sure. They’ve got to come to us, too, so I’m excited.”
Moore did not hold back his true feelings after losing to Virginia Tech, admitting that he probably would not forget about that result anytime soon.
Thanks to a reverse layup by junior guard Saniya Rivers with 2.1 seconds remaining, the Wolfpack led by 1, approaching the precipice of a massive win on the road. NC State, playing without graduate center River Baldwin for the first time, gave up the last-second shot after a series of screens under the basket freed up Kitley.
“A heartbreaking loss, obviously, to be within two seconds of getting out of here,” Moore said in the postgame press conference.
After wins over Virginia and Duke, the Wolfpack head coach said he was still not over that Jan. 7 loss to the Hokies. NC State blew out the Cavaliers, 93-66, Jan. 11. In the four days between those two ACC matchups, Moore said he woke up at 5 each morning thinking about the Virginia Tech game.
NC State lost that day in front of a sold-out crowd, in part thanks to a 6:01 scoring drought in the fourth quarter. It was Virginia Tech’s third-consecutive win over the Pack after sweeping last year’s season series. Now, the Hokies return to Reynolds Coliseum for another sold-out showdown.
“The Virginia Tech game, we kind of let it get away up there, and I know I hadn’t gotten over it,” Moore said Monday. “Hopefully, we’ll be ready to go. They’re one of the best teams in the country, so we’ll have to play really well.”
Moore pointed out that this stretch of the ACC calendar gave the team a chance to make a statement. NC State rose to the occasion in each of its past two games. The Pack locked down defensively to defeat No. 24 North Carolina and used an electric shooting start against No. 16 Louisville to hold off a late push by the Cardinals.
Both NC State and Virginia Tech carry five-game winning streaks into this matchup. Their respective last losses occurred within hours of each other on Jan. 18. Now, the Hokies sit atop the ACC standings at 9-2, while a win would catapult the Wolfpack (8-2) into first place.
“We’re not done yet,” junior guard Aziaha James said Monday. “We’ve got a big one Thursday. We’re looking for our get back.”
