An alley-oop layup from Aziaha James to Madison Hayes at 1:41 remaining and a Mimi Collins turnaround jumper at 1:07 remaining took a seven-point lead for the No. 20 NC State Wolfpack and pushed it to 11, forcing the Miami Hurricanes to foul and eventually lose 71-61 Thursday night at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh.
A 31-7 Pack run between the first and second quarters guided them toward snapping a two-game skid. It took the score from 10-2 Hurricanes to 33-17 NC State with 2:05 to go before halftime. The Pack continued to lead by double digits until a Haley Cavinder three cut it to 57-49 one minute and 53 seconds into the fourth.
Haley Cavinder’s twin sister, Hanna, made a three that cut it to 59-52 at 7:25 remaining, but Miami would not get any closer than within seven over the remainder of the contest.
James and Saniya Rivers alternated baskets for an initial 8-0 run within the 31-7 run that tied the game at 10. River Baldwin, who left the game in the second quarter due to injury and did not return, scored six of the Pack’s next 10 points, as the team closed the opening frame with a 20-14 lead.
Both sides went without a trey until Diamond Johnson opened the second-quarter scoring with a triple that made it 23-14. That make came following a Baldwin block on the other…
