North Carolina State junior guard Aziaha James was nearly automatic from three-point range in the women's Elite Eight against Texas on Sunday.
With 3:45 left in the fourth quarter, James stepped back to her right and nailed a deep three, giving the third-seeded Wolfpack a 68-58 lead over the first-seeded Longhorns. It was her seventh three-pointer of the game.
AZIAHA JAMES
— Mark Schindler (@MG_Schindler) March 31, 2024
7 of 8 from deep!!!!
Off relocation and the stepback, my god pic.twitter.com/GaUo80y6Cb
North Carolina State defeated the Longhorns, 77-67, making their first Final Four appearance since 1998. James scored 27 points and went 7-of-9 from three-point range. According to Kevin Pelton of ESPN, she outscored Texas 21-3 from beyond the arc.
James has reached another level in the NCAA Tournament. In four games, she has averaged 24.3 points per game and shot 57.1% from three-point range.
The Wolfpack will need her to maintain her hot hand on Friday in a tough test against No. 1-seed South Carolina (36-0). As of Sunday, FanDuel lists the Gamecocks as the national championship favorites (-220).
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