RALEIGH, N.C. — In a much-anticipated season opener, the No. 9 ranked N.C. State women’s basketball team dominated East Tennessee State with an 80-55 victory on Tuesday evening. Zoe Brooks led the scoring with 21 points, while Aziaha James contributed significantly by scoring 15 of her 17 points in the second half. Saniya Rivers and Madison Hayes each added 11 points for the Wolfpack, who are gearing up for a challenging match against top-ranked South Carolina this weekend.

East Tennessee State’s Braylyn Milton and Carmen Richardson were the standout performers for the Buccaneers, both finishing the game with 12 points. Kendall Folley also made a noteworthy contribution, scoring 10 points. Despite trailing the Wolfpack ultimately, the Buccaneers managed to maintain a six-point lead late in the first half.

Before the game began, N.C. State proudly displayed a Final Four banner to honor last season’s achievements, setting the tone for their competitive spirit.

Takeaways from the matchup showed some areas of improvement for both teams. East Tennessee State may find the final score disheartening, even though they closed the gap to just a dozen points with about seven minutes remaining. The team attempted only two free throws during the game, indicating that they could benefit from applying more pressure on their opponents’ defenses.

On the other hand, although N.C. State stretched their lead to 17 points with five minutes left, there were noticeable hiccups that they will need to address before their upcoming game this weekend.

A pivotal moment in the game came when Brooks connected on a pair of shots in the final two minutes of the first half. This surge gave the Wolfpack a boost of momentum heading into the break and helped ease any tension that might have built up.

A key statistic from the game was N.C. State’s impressive performance on the boards, where they secured a total of 21 offensive rebounds—contributing significantly to their overall dominance, as East Tennessee State managed only 30 boards combined.

Looking ahead, N.C. State will face off against the top-ranked South Carolina in a significant clash on Sunday at a neutral site in Charlotte, marking a rematch of their previous Final Four encounter. Meanwhile, East Tennessee State will host Jacksonville State at home on Saturday night.