No. 3 NC State recovers from slow start and blows out Old Dominion 87-50 for another 12-0 start

NORFOLK, Va. -- — Madison Hayes scored 17 points to lead six players in double figures and No. 3 North Carolina State ran away from Old Dominion 87-50 on Wednesday night, spoiling the Lady Monarchs' tribute to the late Anne Donovan.

Aziaha James, from nearby Virginia Beach, added 16 points and Zoe Brooks had 11 assists as the Wolfpack (12-0) capped the fifth unbeaten nonconference schedule in its history and its third 12-0 start in 11 seasons under coach Wes Moore.

“For her to be able to come home and be able to enjoy a night like this is pretty special,” Moore said of James, a junior who played at Princess Anne.

The turnaround, Brooks said, came after “our leaders told us to get our stuff together and we listened to them and did what we had to do.”

Brenda Fontana led Old Dominion (8-2) with 12 points and Nnenna Orji had 10, but the Lady Monarchs lost their second straight. It was also Old Dominion's first home loss in nonconference action in 13 games dating to last season.

“I thought we did a pretty good job of stopping them early on, but then it just got to a point where the talent just took over,” Old Dominion coach DeLisha Milton-Jones said. “They are a tremendous team.”

The Lady Monarchs scored the first six points of the second period to lead 19-18, but the Wolfpack outscored ODU 18-2 over the final 6:36 of the first half to lead 36-21 at the intermission and never let the Lady Monarchs back in the game.

NC State won the second half 51-29.

“I told them they couldn't go home for Christmas if we didn't get going,” Moore joked. “It was great to see that second half offensively, really clicking, hitting shots and making good decisions, so it was nice.”

Donovan, ODU's career scoring leader, led the Lady Monarchs to the 1980 AIAW National Championship and final four appearances in 1982 and 1983. She became the first female Naismith College Player of the Year in 1983, won two Olympic gold medals as a player and coached Team USA to gold at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Donovan also won a title with the WNBA's Seattle Storm in 2004 and was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999 and the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2015.

BIG PICTURE

NC State: Even after the slow start, the Wolfpack showed it deserves its ranking by taking complete command. They were losing the rebounding battle early, but won it 49-35, scored 30 points in the paint while allowing just 14 and had a 22-0 edge in fast break points.

Old Dominion: The Monarchs came into the game leading the nation in 3-point percentage defense, allowing just 20.5%, but those numbers took a big hit as the Wolfpack made four of eight in the first half and finished 10 for 18.

UP NEXT

The Wolfpack opens Atlantic Coast Conference play at Virginia on Dec. 31.

Old Dominion begins Sun Belt Conference play at South Alabama on Dec. 30.

—-

Get alerts and updates on AP Top 25 basketball throughout the season. Sign up here ------ AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball