Aziaha James scored a game-high 19 points, including five 3-pointers, as third-seeded North Carolina State defeated No. 14 Chattanooga 64-45 in the opening round of the Women’s NCAA Tournament’s Portland 4 Regional on Saturday afternoon in Raleigh, N.C.
Saniya Rivers added 16 points and eight rebounds, and River Baldwin had 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Wolfpack (28-6), which will meet Tennessee in a second-round game Monday.
Jada Guinn led the Mocs (28-5) with 13 points and seven rebounds, and Raven Thompson scored 11 points.
It wasn’t an offensive clinic; both teams shot just 33.3 percent from the field. NC State shot 20 of 25 from the free-throw line to pull away.
The Wolfpack made just four field goals in each of the first three quarters before James scored 14 points in the fourth, making four 3-pointers.
NC State led by only nine at 29-20 early in the third before Rivers sparked a 12-0 run that gave the hosts some breathing room.
No. 6 Tennessee 92, No. 11 Green Bay 63
Rickea Jackson scored 26 points on 10-of-14 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds as the Lady Volunteers cruised past the Phoenix in in Raleigh, N.C.
Sara Puckett added 14 points, Jewel Spear had 13 and Tess Darby came off the bench to score 11 for the Tennessee (20-12), which shot 58.3 percent from the field (35 of 60) and was 8 of 20 from 3-point range.
Maddy Schreiber led Green Bay (27-7) with 13 points. The Phoenix shot 37.9 percent (25 of 66).
Green Bay took an early six-point lead, but Tennessee pulled ahead 23-21 by the end of the first quarter. The Lady Volunteers extended the advantage to 44-28 by the half. The Phoenix never got closer than 14 points after that.
Tennessee and NC State will meet in the second round on Monday.
–Field Level Media