RALEIGH, N.C. — Saniya Rivers delivered an impressive performance with 25 points and 11 rebounds, while Aziaha James contributed 21 points, helping No. 22 NC State secure a narrow 59-57 victory over Davidson on Wednesday night.

The game saw NC State holding a slight edge at halftime with a score of 39-38, but they trailed 44-40 heading into the fourth quarter. After the two teams were tied at 52, Rivers stepped up to score six consecutive points, putting NC State ahead 58-52. However, Davidson responded quickly, with Millie Prior scoring a layup and Katie Donovan sinking a pivotal 3-pointer with just 41 seconds left on the clock.

With the score at 58-57 in favor of NC State, the Wolfpack were methodical in their next possession, but Rivers missed a jumper with 16 seconds remaining. Davidson retrieved the rebound, and both teams called a timeout. In the ensuing play, Charlise Dunn had a chance to give Davidson the lead but missed a crucial layup. To secure the win for NC State (7-3), James made one of two free throws with only one second left.

For Davidson (3-7), Issy Morgan led the scoring with 20 points, and Dunn added 17. Overall, NC State struggled a bit with their shooting, registering a 33% success rate from the field, while Davidson finished with a slightly better 34%.

During the game, Rivers had a standout third quarter, scoring six points while going 3-for-4 from the field, making her the only NC State player to successfully score in that period. Although Hayes missed a jumper, she managed to go 6-for-6 from the free-throw line during the quarter, leading to a score of 44-40 in favor of Davidson at the end of the third.

As the fourth quarter progressed, NC State briefly regained a one-point advantage and later tied the game again when Hayes converted one of two free throws. Following Tomisin Adenupet’s 3-pointer, Rivers responded with a tip-in, and Zoe Brooks’ three-point play propelled NC State ahead 52-50 with just over four minutes left on the clock.