NC State survives scare against Rhode Island behind fourth-quarter run

In the early going against Rhode Island, No. 14 NC State settled for 15-foot jump shots when it could not find a clean way to the rim. But those attempts at the basket were not consistent makes — 11 misses on its first 14 shots — which put the red and white in a double-figure deficit. 

The Wolfpack was able to claw its way out of the hole late in the first half at the rim, and NC State closed the game on a 14-2 run to knock off Rhode Island 67-58 on Sunday afternoon at Reynolds Coliseum, despite only leading for just 5:27 of the contest.

“A great job coming back,” Wolfpack coach Wes Moore said. “Connecticut game, now this game, dug a hole, and we were able to fight back. Don’t necessarily look at all that other stuff, look at the film and you could tell this was a really good team. … Glad to get the W.”

The slow start — 11-for-31 from the field — put the Wolfpack behind, but NC State stayed composed. It had the experience against then-No. 2 UConn a week earlier, where it won from behind, but the Pack still had to hit its shots. 

NC State struggled to hit its shots, and its zone defense that it went to in an effort to slow Rhode Island down may have been a factor why. 

“We were settling for jump shots, we weren’t aggressive, and we went to the zone in the second quarter,” Moore said. “It was very effective, but at the same time that takes you out of your energy, turning people over and looking to make plays. … We got to make sure that we stay aggressive for 40 minutes, and get to the rim or get to the foul line.”

But in the second half, NC State went right at the rim. The Wolfpack put the Rams in foul trouble in the third quarter, and the red and white were in the bonus with about seven minutes left in the period. 

As the Pack turned its aggression up on the offensive end in the second half, its two lead guards took control of the game. Juniors Saniya Rivers and Aziaha James each scored 15 points in the final 20 minutes — the rest of the team combined to score 11 in the same period. 

NC State was able to nearly double its first half production (26 points) with 41 in the second.

Rivers, who took over against UConn with a 33-point effort, came out with a head of steam in the second half, and was able to be an efficient 6-for-8 from the field in the second half. 

“I just knew I needed to,” said Rivers, who finished with a team-high 19 points to go with seven assists and five rebounds. “Shots weren’t falling for anybody. Unfortunately, we’re going to have nights like that. On nights like that, we have to make sure that our defense is just on point — and it wasn’t in the first half. But once we were looking to attack more and get to the line … that’s what turned the game around.”

NC State’s defense took it up a notch in the second half. The Wolfpack only forced five Rams turnovers in the opening 20 minutes, but it was able to record 10 more in the second half — including nine of the Pack’s 12 steals in the contest. 

Rhode Island, on the other hand, was able to force turnovers at will in the first half, it appeared. NC State turned the ball over eight times in the first half, and it finished with 15 in the win. 

“We knew it was going to be an aggressive game, coach prepared us for that,” Rivers said. “Sometimes I think teams and players get caught up in the names of other schools, and just think maybe it’s going to be an easy game. … But that’s a great team.”

Rivers paced the Wolfpack, while James added 17 points, and graduate forward Mimi Collins and freshman guard Zoe Brooks accounted for 10 points, each. 

Collins recorded her first double-double in a Wolfpack uniform with a team-best 11 rebounds, including 10 on the defensive end. The Slidell, La., native also earned her 1,000th career point on her final make of the afternoon, and she thanked Rivers for finding her in the paint. 

“I have great teammates,” Collins said. “When I was at Tennessee, when I was at Maryland, even here, I have excellent teammates. I’m forever happy. But like I told them, my 1,000 points mean nothing if we don’t win this game. That’s just how we played it.”

The Wolfpack was able to avoid a letdown game against the Rams, who were picked to win the Atlantic 10 Conference this season, and Moore saw the positive of playing the stout mid-major squad. 

“It definitely is a benefit playing a really good team like Rhode Island,” Moore said. “No doubt that’s a benefit. But struggling and finding a way to win at the end, I can see that, but for the old ball coach, that isn’t a whole lot of fun. I’d rather come out, execute, click and play well.”

While Moore would rather a dominant effort from his team instead of a come-from-behind win, he did see the advantage of playing another tight game, in hindsight.

“You’re going to have games like this, and you’ve got to be able to overcome,” Moore said. “It was great to see them be able to do that.”