NC State guard Aziaha James: 'We needed that win'
NC State picked up an absolutely massive win over No. 19 North Carolina Thursday night, coming back from a 10-point deficit in the final 5 minutes of the fourth quarter and defending a sold out Reynolds Coliseum with a 77-66 overtime win.
After the game, head coach Wes Moore addressed the media alongside Jakia Brown-Turner and Aziaha James— the Wolfpack’s leading scorers who scored the first 9 points of overtime.
Here are the best quotes from the thrilling victory.
Wes Moore on the team stepping up throughout the game
“The whole team really rose to the occasion,” Moore said. “It would have been really easy just to say it was not going to happen and [it] was not our night, but we just kept battling, and it made for an unbelievable win and a memorable game and the only thing [is] we didn’t have an onside kick to do it.”
Aziaha James on what that win means to the team
“It felt wonderful,” James said. “We needed that win. We really needed that win to get us back on track.”
Jakia Brown-Turner on the Wolfpack’s full-court press
“When we’re in the press, we like to get after it,” Brown-Turner said. “It just makes us make plays, and we love that.”
Brown-Turner on the Wolfpack realizing its offensive potential
“We’re sharing the ball, we’re knocking down shots,” Brown-Turner said. “When we play together, and we’re knocking down shots, we’re unbeatable.”
James on the UNC rivalry
“We take it personally,” James said. “We take every game personally, but, UNC, we definitely take it personally. We know they’re down the road, so we always want that win.”
Brown-Turner on the Reynolds Coliseum crowd
“It was so loud,” Brown-Turner said. “I couldn’t even hear my thoughts. They definitely bring us a lot of energy, and we love them.”
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Moore on Dave Doeren and Kevin Keatts attending the game
“Let’s face it, we’ve created a monster here,” Moore said. “We’ve got pretty high expectations. We lost four starters that were here four and five years and that had great careers, but yet our expectations are to be there every year. Coach Keatts and coach Doeren have been there for me after a tough loss, whatever, they’re reaching out to me, telling me to hang in there. They get it, they know how tough it is. Coach Keatts texts me after every game and coach Doeren and being here tonight means a lot. They are unbelievable guys, and NC State’s lucky to have both of them.”
Moore on three-point shooting struggles
“We’re fighting for our lives,” Moore said. “We’ve really struggled shooting the ball in case y’all didn’t notice, and it’s just tough when you’re not making threes or whatever.”
“I still believe in them. I still believe we’ve got people that can knock down threes and knock down shots. But, at some point, we’ve got to start doing it a little more consistently because it really puts a lot of pressure on your defense when you’re not scoring.”
Moore on remaining confident in Brown-Turner
“I believe in Jakia,” Moore said. “To be honest with you, she’s had a rough year shooting the ball, but I’ve stuck with her because she’s proven what she can do over the last three years, and so I’m not going to give up on her. Tonight it paid off.”
Moore on James’ potential
“Aziaha has got unbelievable ability, talent,” Moore said.
“We know Aziaha can be a great player and, hopefully, she’ll keep growing and we’ll see her really shine from this point on but also for the next couple of years.”
