River Baldwin's resurgence bolsters NC State's ACC championship push
When River Baldwin plays well, NC State’s ceiling ascends to new heights. She impacted both ends of the floor and proved that she has returned to her pre-injury form against Notre Dame.
The No. 6 Wolfpack took down the No. 16 Fighting Irish 59-43, and the graduate center recorded a double-double with 14 points, 10 rebounds, 4 charges drawn, 2 steals and a block. NC State, now 21-3 on the season, is undefeated in games where Baldwin scores at least 5 points and has only lost 1 game with her on the court.
Head coach Wes Moore knows the Wolfpack is better when she’s involved in the offense. Her post touches led to some of the program’s most consistent looks in the first half of Thursday’s win and also created open looks for her teammates.
“When we can get her some touches and some buckets inside, then that loosens things up for everybody else on the perimeter,” Moore told WKNC after the game.
Baldwin scored 8 points on 4 of 7 shooting in the first period, helping NC State open up an early 19-7 lead after 10 minutes. After recording no more than 6 points in her first 4 games, she has finished 3 of the past 4 matchups in double-digits.
Notre Dame threw a wide variety of lineups at the Wolfpack, which kept Moore and the rest of the staff on their toes, adjusting on-court strategy throughout the night. Going up against Fighting Irish forward Maddy Westbeld, a 6-3 post player who thrives on the perimeter, NC State’s center faced a tough task defensively. She took advantage of the mismatch on the other end of the court.
“We also felt like ‘Well, hey, she’s got to guard River on the other end, so let’s ride with it a little while and see how it works out,'” Moore said after the win.
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She ended the matchup missing just 4 shots on 11 attempts— her most made field goals in a game since Jan. 4. Baldwin guarded the paint and made things difficult for Notre Dame’s scorers, drawing charges and playing sound, fundamental defense that kept the Fighting Irish out of their rhythm.
Graduate forward Mimi Collins missed this game due to injury, and she usually plays the backup center minutes. Baldwin ended up sitting for just 3 minutes of this contest.
“With Mimi out tonight, we had to ride with her, and she really rose to the occasion with a double double… It makes a big difference when we have that presence inside.”
NC State is 10-3 in the ACC, one game back of league-leading Virginia Tech. With 5 games left in the regular season, Moore emphasized how important this win was.
“It’s important to get a road game like this,” Moore said. “I’m really proud of them.”
