Historic Performance Helps Wolfpack Survive in Overtime
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — NC State women's basketball was supposed to get a full week to recover from the disheartening home loss to No. 8 Louisville back in Raleigh. Instead, the Wolfpack's matchup against Virginia was moved up by a day to help avoid the looming weather issues poised to hit the East Coast as winter snow and ice storms ravage the country.
The one missed day of preparation didn't matter too much, as NC State did what it could not against the Cardinals and pulled out a win over the 'Hoos in overtime, surviving 78-76 behind a historic performance from junior guard Zoe Brooks. The talented guard racked up 37 points in the victory for the Pack.
How the Wolfpack pulled it out
Brooks was the driving force behind NC State's important road win, scoring a career-high 37 points. She set program records for made and attempted free throws, going 19-for-20 from the charity stripe. She added five assists and five rebounds across 42 minutes of action. She cracked the top 10 for most points in a single game in program history, coming in at ninth.
Without the efforts of the star guard, the Wolfpack would've been in trouble against a Cavalier team that was tied with the Pack in the standings. Despite leading by 15 points in the fourth quarter, NC State once again had trouble closing out the opposition. The 'Hoos started to fire away from 3-point range, a strategy that proved fruitful against a Wolfpack defense that continued to struggle with energy down the stretch. Virginia ultimately made eight shots from beyond the arc in the final quarter.
And we head to OT tied at 66 pic.twitter.com/o98ULI2Edb
— NC State WBB 🐺🏀 (@PackWomensBball) January 24, 2026
The barrage from 3-point range by Virginia was enough to tie it, sending NC State to overtime for the second game in a row. Before Saturday, the Wolfpack lost both of its overtime games, with the Louisville loss and the Oklahoma loss. However, Brooks was on a mission to make sure that wouldn't happen again. She buried key free throws in overtime, but her backcourt co-star made the key play.
With the 'Hoos inbounding the ball down two points, Zam Jones leaped into the air and stole the ball, then deflected it off Sa'Myah Smith of Virginia to secure possession for the Wolfpack. Jones also scored 14 points in the win to help on the offensive end, but made her primary impact defensively in the clutch.
Big play down the stretch 🫡 https://t.co/6klxhsRgUb pic.twitter.com/OurTosyP1Y
— NC State WBB 🐺🏀 (@PackWomensBball) January 25, 2026
"They were 8-for-12 from three, we tried switching everything, we tried playing some zone just to give them a different look, but I am proud of our kids," Moore said after the game. "They could have hung their heads and said, ‘ah here we go again.’ They showed a lot of grit and fight, and found a way to get a big road win.”
The Wolfpack stays on the road, traveling to Boston College on Thursday. It will need some help from the rest of the ACC to catch up to Duke and Louisville, which are both undefeated in conference play.
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Tucker Sennett graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Journalism from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. A former basketball player, he has gained valuable experience working at Cronkite News and brings a deep passion for sports and reporting to his role as the NC State Wolfpack Beat Writer On SI.
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