By Canadian Press on February 13, 2025.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Zoe Brooks drove for a tiebreaking basket with 45 seconds left and No. 10 N.C. State held on to beat Miami 76-74 on Thursday night. Madison Hayes scored 19 points, Aziaha James had 15 points and Tilda Trygger added 10 points for N.C. State (20-4, 12-1 Atlantic Coast Conference), which won its ninth straight game. The Wolfpack needed pair of defensive stops to avoid the loss. Miami’s Haley Cavinder missed a 3-point attempt with 35 seconds to play and then was off the mark on a drive to the lane following a timeout with four seconds left. Cavinder led Miami (13-11, 3-10) with 20 points and Natalija Marshall had 17 points. Miami, which led by 10 in the first half, didn’t score in the final 3:44 after pulling even at 74-all. Takeaways Miami: The Hurricanes were fresh off a 41-point loss Sunday at then-No. 10 Duke, but they fell to 0-6 in road games since Christmas. They had 23 points in slightly more than nine minutes to open the game — eclipsing their first-half total of 22 four days earlier — on the way to a 26-16 lead. N.C. State: The Wolfpack were coming off victories against nationally ranked Duke and Florida State and this appeared to be a breather during that brutal stretch. Instead, it was a tense conclusion before three straight games against Top 25 opponents. Key moment Hayes scored 10 points in a 5 1/2-minute span late in the third quarter as the Wolfpack took a 66-62 lead. Her 3-pointer was the first basket of the fourth quarter, providing enough cushion that N.C. State never trailed again. Key stat Miami connected on 10 3-point shots to stay in position for an upset after going 4 for 18 from deep in its previous game. Up next On Sunday, N.C. State visits No. 12 North Carolina, and Miami is home vs. No. 23 Florida State. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball Bob Sutton, The Associated Press 19