GREENSBORO, N.C. – Aziaha James led the charge with 19 points as No. 7 N.C. State took control early on to secure a 66-55 victory over No. 14 North Carolina in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament on Saturday.
Madison Hayes and substitute player Lorena Awou contributed 10 points apiece, helping the Wolfpack (26-5) avenge their close loss from the regular season. N.C. State will face off against either No. 11 Duke or No. 6 Notre Dame in the Atlantic Coast Conference final on Sunday.
For North Carolina (27-7), Indya Nivar scored 13 points while Maria Gakdeng posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. The team struggled with shooting, managing only a 27.9% success rate from the field.
The Wolfpack surged by scoring the last 16 points of the first quarter, establishing a 16-5 lead that had the pro-N.C. State fans cheering. North Carolina experienced a frustrating scoring drought that lasted almost 11 minutes, resulting in a 21-5 deficit.
**Takeaways**
North Carolina: The Tar Heels managed to win two games in the tournament with comeback victories after ending the regular season on a two-game losing streak. The team had been missing key players Alyssa Ustby and Reniya Kelly due to injuries.
N.C. State: This marks the fourth time in five years that the Wolfpack will contend in the ACC final. To claim the title, they must triumph over a ranked foe for the seventh time this season.
**Key moment**
After taking a hard fall in the first quarter, James returned to score the first six points of the second half for the Wolfpack. This bolstered their lead after North Carolina had narrowed the gap to 33-26 by halftime.
**Key stat**
This was the second consecutive day North Carolina was restricted to only five points in one quarter. Unlike their previous matchup against No. 22 Florida State in the quarterfinals, the Tar Heels were unable to recover.
**Up next**
North Carolina now looks ahead to the NCAA Tournament, where they hope to host first- and second-round games.