Zoe Brooks leads the way as No. 13 NC State’s guards supplant No. 1 Notre Dame, its highly-touted backcourt duo

Zoe Brooks stood at the foul line after playing 47 minutes through two overtime periods against No. 1 Notre Dame as the raucous Reynolds Coliseum was so quiet that pin drop would have likely reverberated around the sold-out building. She took a deep breath, dribbled the ball twice and put up her high-arching shot. Both of her free throws in the final seconds helped NC State put the cherry on top of its top-ranked upset. 

Brooks, a sophomore guard with a knack of driving to the bucket, spent a lot of time utilizing that routine against the Irish. She drew eight fouls and shot a perfect 14-of-14 from the free throw line en route to a career-best 33 points as the Wolfpack downed the Irish 104-95 in double overtime on Sunday afternoon. 

“It was a lot of fun,” Brooks said. “We have a great atmosphere, great fans and I was just doing the best I can to help my team win.”

It was a statement showing. Not only for NC State as a team, which earned its fifth win over the AP No. 1 squad in program history, but for the Wolfpack’s backcourt against Notre Dame. 

The Irish, powered by guard duo Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles, touted one of the nation’s best backcourt duos. But when the Pack took to the floor against that pairing, which it wasn’t able to do last season since Miles was injured, NC State’s guards seemed to have an extra jolt. 

Rivers, who posted a near triple-double with 14 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists, and the rest of NC State’s backcourt played freely against Notre Dame — just as it has all year. And that mindset seemed to help the Wolfpack in its six-round heavyweight fight. In a way, the Pack was prepared for a battle. 

And what it got was a war. 

“We knew it was going to be a challenge, they’re ranked No. 1 in the country,” Rivers said. “So just coming in and facing the challenge, saying ‘We don’t really have anything to lose. Put it all on the floor, empty out the tank.”

Of course, they wanted to earn the win and didn’t care how it happened. But knocking off the top-ranked team in the country, while out dueling its highly-regarded guard combination with NC State’s three-headed monster? That just made it only sweeter. 

Brooks led the way, but senior guard Aziaha James added 20 points, while senior guard Saniya Rivers stuffed the stat sheet in a team-best 48 minutes on the floor.

“It was really fun going against them,” Rivers said of Notre Dame’s guards. “Coming out there and playing against them, it was just a fun feeling. I can’t really say anything else.”

Hidalgo and Miles were able to score their own points, logging 26 and 22, respectively, but NC State’s guards hit another gear in front of its ear-popping crowd. Whether it was James’ behind the back dribble to shake Hidalgo, a lighting-quick guard that can poke the ball in a blink of an eye, into a layup or Rivers’ game-altering blocks, the Pack’s best put it on full display.

NC State’s offense executed at a high level. It crossed the century mark for the first time since Dec. 12, 2021, and it did so on a 45.6 percent shooting effort. And the Pack did so against the ACC’s top field goal percentage defense (35.4 percent) entering the game. 

“I like challenges,” Brooks said. “I had a lot of fun today. I’m very competitive and so are they. I’m glad we got the dub.”

The win over Notre Dame capped a six-game gauntlet for NC State. The Pack faced five ranked teams over that span and it emerged 5-1 with its only loss coming at then-No. 12 North Carolina last weekend. 

NC State saved its grittiest win for last as it needed two extra periods to knock off Notre Dame. 

“It just shows the heart we have,” Brooks said. “We didn’t stand down against anybody. We weren’t scared of anybody. We fell short one time, but we kept fighting, and that’s why we won today.”

The Wolfpack’s bout with the Irish lived up to the billing as the star guards carried the load for both squads. But while that was the case, and Notre Dame’s duo was viewed as the best in all of women’s college basketball going into the season, NC State coach Wes Moore is confident in his stars. 

And they proved him right in the historic win over the Irish. 

“Notre Dame deserves all the attention and all that they get,” Moore said. “But I like ours too. We’ve got some pretty good ones.”

Rivers, meanwhile, had one last parting message as the Wolfpack isn’t satisfied with just a win over the No. 1 team in the country. It’s hungry for more.

“We’re here to stay,” Rivers said. “We’re here to fight. And we’re hoping to cut down some nets this season.”