Aziaha James has done it again. After scoring 29 points to lead a stunning upset victory over Stanford in the Sweet 16, the NC State guard went off for 27 to help down No. 1 seed Texas, 76-66, in the Elite Eight on Sunday. It's been a rapid rise to stardom for James, who's exceeded her season scoring average of 16 points in every game of the NCAA Women's Tournament thus far.
The 3-point line is where James did most of her damage Sunday. James knocked down seven of her nine attempts from deep, setting a program tournament record and a career high in 3-point makes. It was a gutsy performance from James, who played all 40 minutes while leading her team in scoring and rebounding (six).
"It's just like a coming-out party," NC State coach Wes Moore said of James' recent hot shooting. "I think right now probably the goal looks a little bigger and obviously we're going to her."
This victory sends NC State to the Final Four for the second time in program history. The other came in 1998, when the Wolfpack lost 84-65 to Louisiana Tech. To reach their first NCAA championship game, the Wolfpack must get through top-seeded South Carolina, who beat Oregon State in Sunday's first Elite Eight game.
It wasn't just James playing hero for NC State. River Baldwin tallied 16 second-half points after Texas held her scoreless in the first, and she did so with incredible efficiency by going 5-of-6 from the field and 6-of-6 from the free throw line.
For Texas, its typically dynamic frontcourt just couldn't seem to assert its will as much as usual. Madison Booker scored just 14 points on 8-of-21 shooting, while Aaliyah Moore went 5-of-14 en route to a 10-point outing. In fact, Booker, the Big 12 Player of the Year and a freshman sensation for Texas, had the worst plus-minus of any Longhorns player (-15).
"We take great pride in being tough, and tough doesn't have anything to do with how much weight you can lift," Texas coach Vic Schaefer said postgame. "Today we probably weren't as tough as we've been in the past, over the last two months. But again, it's not like we woke up and went, 'Hey, we're not going to be tough today.' It just happens sometimes in athletics, but these kids played their heart out today."
NC State's upset win drew plenty of attention, but the court it took place on was subject to even more scrutiny. Prior to tip-off, NCAA officials determined the court used for the Portland regionals was improperly measured. Specifically, the 3-point line on one end of the court was uneven.
In the hopes of avoiding a delay, NC State and Texas decided to play the game as scheduled, and it ended with quite a surprise victory.
