No. 10 NC State beats Virginia, snaps 2-game home skid

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina State wanted to make sure home-court advantage means something after a recent rough stretch.

Jada Boyd scored 13 points and the No. 10 Wolfpack snapped a two-game home losing streak by beating Virginia 87-62 on Sunday.

“I think it was a sense of urgency that this league is tough and we have to bring it every night,” N.C. State guard Diamond Johnson said.

Camille Hobby and Mimi Collins both had 12 points, and Johnson and River Baldwin added 10 points apiece. Jakia Brown-Turner and Madison Hayes each finished with nine as the Wolfpack shot 57.4% from the field.

“I thought our energy and urgency was a little better,” N.C. State coach Wes Moore said. “We’re going to have to have that. This league is really, really good. If you don’t have that, you’re going to have a lot of disappointment.”

Camryn Taylor scored 16 points, Taylor Valladay had 13 and Sam Brunelle 12 for Virginia (13-3, 2-3), which dropped a game to a top-10 team for the second time in four days after losing Thursday at No. 9 Virginia Tech.

Virginia guard Mir McLean, the team’s scoring leader, was taken off the court on a stretcher after falling with an apparent right leg injury with 4:18 remaining in the third quarter. On crutches, she met with teammates outside the locker room after the game.

“The game is secondary,” Virginia coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton said. “Just praying that she’s OK.”

McLean had three points with 1-for-9 shooting from the field as her streak of nine games in a row with a double-figure scoring ended. The Cavaliers trailed 56-41 at the time of the injury.

N.C. State lost home matchups with Duke and Boston College sandwiched around a two-point victory at Syracuse.

“We’re tired of losing,” Hayes said. “We did a lot better getting back in transition ‘D.’ We just came out ready to roll.”

Moore said the Wolfpack players learned they can’t rely on the home crowd making a difference.

“We maybe did take it for granted some,” he said. “We lose. I get emails. I don’t sleep. I get grumpy.”

Hayes scored eight points in the first three minutes of the third quarter as the Wolfpack made it clear they wouldn’t allow a comeback.

Virginia hadn’t given up more than 74 points all season. The Wolfpack eclipsed that mark with more than six minutes remaining.

“Defense and rebounding, we didn’t really do that at an elite level, which is why the game got away from us,” Agugua-Hamilton said.

N.C. State had a 25-15 lead less than a minute into the second quarter. The Wolfpack’s 41-30 halftime edge was highlighted by 58.6% shooting from the field.

BIG PICTURE

Virginia: The Cavaliers dropped to 0-3 in ACC road games and this proved to be the most difficult assignment of the season. Even solid stretches of offensive rebounding (16 boards) weren’t enough to overcome 32.9% shooting from the field.

N.C. State: The Wolfpack are likely to fall out of the top 10, but at least some confidence returned. It was Johnson’s second game back after sitting out with an injury and the Wolfpack, despite committing 16 turnovers, seemed to be in a much better flow.

BLOCK THAT SHOT

Hayes, a guard, blocked seven shots. That’s the second-most in a game in team history.

“I was glad to be able to help my team out in that area,” Hayes said. “It’s a completely different area.”

TIP-INS

N.C. State now leads the all-time series 41-40, winning six in a row. … N.C. State’s 1997-98 team, which produced the program’s only Final Four appearance, was honored in a halftime ceremony to celebrate the 25th anniversary of that achievement under longtime coach Kay Yow.

UP NEXT

Virginia: Hosts No. 22 North Carolina on Thursday to begin a three-game homestand.

N.C. State: Thursday at Florida State.