In its 2023 Paradise Jam opener, the No. 10 NC State women’s basketball team (5-0) maintained a double-digit lead for most of the game, securing a dominant 84-55 victory over Kentucky (2-3) on Thursday afternoon.
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Although the Wildcats scored the first basket, the Wolfpack responded with a 15-point run, establishing an early and unyielding lead. NC State’s advantage peaked at 42 points (76-34) by the end of the third quarter.
NC State
Madison Hayes led the Wolfpack’s scoring with 15 points, shooting an impressive 5-of-6 overall and 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. Saniya Rivers contributed 13 points along with three steals, while River Baldwin (11 points) and Mimi Collins (10 points) also had productive performances.
NC State showcased its offensive prowess with a 54.8 percent shooting accuracy (34-of-62), marking the team’s highest percentage of the still-early season. The Pack distributed the ball effectively, assisting on over half of its made shots with 19 assists. Aziaha James and Zoe Brooks each provided five assists, and James led the team in rebounding with eight boards in the dominating 45-28 rebounding performance.
Newcomers Mallory Collier (6 points) and Lizzy Williamson (4 points) set career-high marks, and Katie Peneueta made her impactful Wolfpack debut. The game featured all 12 Pack players on the court, with 10 of them contributing to the scoring column.
NC State displayed an offensive onslaught in the first quarter, scoring 31 points, and continued its momentum to accumulate 55 points by halftime. This marked the team’s highest scoring output in a 20-minute span in any of its five games this season. The Pack held a commanding 31-point lead (55-24) at halftime, surpassing its previous season-best halftime lead.
Looking ahead, NC State focuses on its second Paradise Jam game against Cincinnati on Friday, with tip-off scheduled for 3:15 p.m. EST (4:15 p.m. local time), and the game will be streamed on ESPN+
