Wolfpack Cruise Past Eagles in ACC Women’s Basketball Showdown
NEWTON, Mass. (Interstat) — Zoe Brooks scored 27 points and North Carolina State’s offense operated with ruthless efficiency, cruising to a 106-84 victory over Boston College in Atlantic Coast Conference women’s basketball on Thursday night at Silvio O. Conte Forum.
The Wolfpack shot 61.3% from the field and converted 22 of 23 free throws, overwhelming the Eagles with a sustained offensive barrage. North Carolina State improved to 15-6 overall, while Boston College fell to 4-19.
The most important part of the game was North Carolina State’s immediate and unrelenting offensive execution, which established a commanding lead and never allowed the Eagles to build any sustained momentum. The Wolfpack scored on their first four possessions, with Brooks opening the scoring on a layup just 10 seconds in. Despite Boston College hitting three early 3-pointers to stay within 9-6, North Carolina State responded with a 10-0 run, fueled by Khamil Pierre and Tilda Trygger inside, to take a 19-9 lead midway through the first quarter. The Eagles never got closer than seven points the rest of the way.
North Carolina State led 27-22 after a fast-paced first quarter and then broke the game open in the second. The Wolfpack scored 30 points in the period, shooting 10 of 13 from the floor. A 12-2 run, capped by a Brooks layup and free throw, extended the lead to 46-30. The Wolfpack took a 57-48 advantage into halftime, having scored on their final seven possessions of the half.
Any hope of a Boston College comeback was extinguished early in the third quarter. After the Eagles cut the deficit to 50-48 on two Erin Houpt free throws, North Carolina State unleashed a decisive 14-2 surge. Brooks ignited the run with a three-point play and then hit a 3-pointer, pushing the lead back to 64-50. The Wolfpack defense tightened, holding Boston College to just 15 points in the quarter, and entered the fourth leading 76-63.
The Wolfpack then put the game completely out of reach by scoring the first 10 points of the final period. A Qadence Samuels 3-pointer and layup, followed by a Brooks layup and a Tilda Trygger three-point play, ballooned the lead to 86-63 with 6:44 remaining, sealing the outcome.
Brooks, a 5-foot-10 guard from Plainfield, New Jersey, added seven assists to her 27 points. Pierre, a sophomore from Phoenix, contributed 19 points, and Trygger, a 6-6 freshman from Stockholm, Sweden, dominated inside with 23 points on 10-of-13 shooting. Zamareya Jones added 18 points for the Wolfpack, which finished with a stellar offensive rating of 137.8 points per 100 possessions.
Boston College was led by Jocelyne Grier’s 23 points and Erin Houpt’s 18. The Eagles shot 41.4% overall but were hampered by 10 turnovers, which North Carolina State converted into easy scoring opportunities. Lily Carmody had seven points and a game-high five assists for the Eagles.
North Carolina State’s offensive precision was the story, as they assisted on 30 of their 38 made field goals and committed only 12 turnovers. The Wolfpack’s 106 points marked a season high in ACC play.
North Carolina State next hosts rival North Carolina on Monday. Boston College travels to face Georgia Tech on Sunday.