Aziaha James Leads NC State Past Texas to Reach Final Four

Aziaha James led the No. 3 NC State Wolfpack to a 76-66 win vs. the No. 1 Texas Longhorns

Aziaha James led the No. 3 NC State Wolfpack to a 76-66 win vs. the No. 1 Texas Longhorns | Image: ESPN/YouTube

Aziaha James dominated with 27 points as North Carolina State maintained the upper hand in a 76-66 triumph over Texas on Sunday in the Portland 4 Region final.

River Baldwin contributed 16 points as the Wolfpack, seeded third with a 31-6 record, secured a spot in the upcoming Final Four in Cleveland. Saniya Rivers recorded 11 points, five rebounds, and five assists, while Mimi Collins and Zoe Brooks each chipped in with 10 points.

NC State’s triumph was powered by their prowess beyond the arc, hitting 9 of 18 shots from deep compared to Texas’ 1 for 6.

James, who shone as the Most Valuable Player of the Regional, was on fire in the Elite Eight clash, connecting on 9 of 17 field goal attempts, including 7 of 9 from long range.

Despite Madison Booker‘s 17 points for the top-seeded Texas (33-5), the Big 12 Conference Player of the Year struggled with her shooting, making only 8 of 21 field goals.

Shay Holle tallied 12 points, Taylor Jones contributed 11, and Aaliyah Moore added 10 points along with nine rebounds.

James put up 21 points and NC State established an 18-point lead in the first half before heading into the break with a 43-31 advantage. James was perfect from three-point territory, going 5-for-5 and 7-for-10 from the field in the opening half.

Texas struggled with shooting in the first half, managing to make only 14 of 41 shots (34.1 percent) and 1 of 3 from downtown. Booker went 4-for-13 from the field.

The Longhorns cut the deficit to 45-35 early in the third quarter. Despite NC State’s 14-point lead being trimmed to 51-44 with Texas on a 7-0 run, a timely three-pointer by James ensured the Wolfpack were ahead 57-48 at the end of the third quarter.

Booker’s three-point play brought Texas within 63-55 with 5:50 left. Jones converted another three-point play to make it 65-58 with 4:41 to go. Although James sunk a three to push NC State’s lead back into double digits, Jones’ layup reduced the deficit to 68-60 with 3:24 remaining.

However, Texas could not bridge the gap further, as Baldwin added six crucial points in the final moments, four of which came from the free-throw line.

Shaylee Gonzales, Texas’ guard, failed to score on 0-for-6 shooting before fouling out towards the end of the game.

James delivered two vital three-pointers, bookending one by Collins, extending NC State’s lead to 34-20 midway through the second quarter. Moments later, James hit another shot from deep, and Brooks followed up with a layup as NC State surged on a 17-2 run to lead 40-22 late in the quarter.

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