247Sports Embed Resource
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Madison Hayes and Tilda Trygger came up clutch in No. 21 NC State's 73-68 win over Virginia Jan. 19.
That duo spearheaded the Wolfpack's (14-4, 6-1 ACC) efforts on the offensive glass, rattling off 11 offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter alone to push the Pack past the Cavaliers (11-8, 3-4 ACC). On a day where the red and white struggled to knock down shots, Hayes and Tryggers' efforts on the boards saved the day.
"I'm really proud of the way we hung in there," said Wes Moore. "It wasn't one of our better shooting days, but we always talk about defending and rebounding can save you on a day like that. ... Madison Hayes having a double-double. That was one of the best games she's had here. Then Tilda to go get 13 rebounds, seven of them offensive. From what I understand, a lot of her's and Madison's came in the fourth quarter when you really needed it.
Hayes raised her game in crunch time by scoring 17 of her 19 points after halftime and 12 of them in the fourth quarter. The veteran guard popped up all over the court. Outside of making shots and pulling down rebounds, she recorded two blocks and two steals in the game including a clutch steal off an inbound in the final seconds. She proceeded to knock down two free throws to put Virginia down five. She finished the day 8-8 from the free throw line.
Trygger posted 13 rebounds and seven offensive rebounds -- both career highs -- along with her nine points on the day. She scored seven in the first quarter (including a three-pointer), helping the Pack keep pace when it figured out the Cavs defense, before emerging as a post nightmare for Virginia. Trygger logged six offensive rebounds and nine total rebounds in the fourth quarter, also coming up clutch for her team when it mattered most.
The freshman from Sweden continues to find her aggressive side in the States but still has plenty of room for growth there. Her six-six frame only goes so far without asserting her dominance in the paint against more physical players. She'll be a force to be reckoned with once she fully taps into that aggression, something the coaching staff's been working with her on since day one.
"I'd still like to see her change her demeanor and make her more de-meaner," Moore said. "She still needs to be a little tougher, a little more physical. There's still some balls that you've got to go get. But it's hard to argue. Most of her's and Madison's came in the fourth quarter when you really needed them."
The Wolfpack benefited immensely from Hayes and Trygger's efforts, especially in the paint. The Cavaliers trotted out one of the better bigs in the ACC in Latasha Lattimore who entered the day sixth in the conference in rebounding. On a Cavs which ranked 28th in the country in rebounds per game going into this contest, State needed some elbow grease in the post, and Hayes and Trygger delivered.
"We knew that Virginia was really athletic," Hayes said. "They have really good post players in Lattimore. We had to make sure we got as many people on the offensive rebounds as much as we can and that happened. We got a lot of opportunities to score."
The Pack's efforts on the glass went a long way in a slow day for the shooting department. Virginia employed a zone defense which NC State took a long time to figure out how to navigate. The Cavaliers guarded the perimeter especially closely, stifling the Pack to 6-22 shooting from beyond the arc -- probably a smart move after State hit 13 threes last time out against Pitt. The Wolfpack ultimately seized on UVa's defensive weakness, however. When you're lined in the zone and committing the majority of your players to stopping the three, you leave yourself open to mismatches down low.
"They did a great job with their zone," Moore said. "We really had a hard time getting into anything with any flow. But when you're in a zone, it also makes it tougher to box out because you don't have matchups sometimes. We did a good job of taking advantage of that opportunity."
NC State also attacked the Cavs by getting out and running before they could get their defense set up. Turnovers played a huge role in this aspect as the Wolfpack feasted on 23 points off 19 Virginia turnovers.
Saniya Rivers led the charge in scoring in transition after a turnover. She matched her season high with four steals against the Cavs, creating several transition buckets as the Pack scored 15 fast break points. Rivers remained a matchup nightmare all game -- Virginia's highest scoring period came when Rivers sat out the second quarter with two fouls -- but truly shined in her ability to turn defense into offense.
"Coach Moore emphasizes going out into transition, trying to run a little bit," Hayes said. "We knew that they were getting back in zone, so trying to take advantage of those opportunities. Saniya, she can -- she's a 'Swiper, no swiping.' She's going and getting that ball. That's all she does. She helps us in that aspect. She's our energy on defense."
NC State now prepares to head up to Syracuse to take on the Orange Jan. 23. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. in the JMA Wireless Dome.
Not a VIP subscriber to Pack Pride? Sign up now to get access to everything R. Cory Smith, Michael Clark and the entire Pack Pride team have to offer on all things NC State and access to the No. 1 site covering the Wolfpack.
Sign up for FREE text alerts to get breaking news on commitments, decommitments, transfers, injuries, coaching changes and much more with our NEW text alert system available to all registered users and VIP subscribers. Click Here to become a FREE registered user and Click Here if you are already a VIP subscriber.
Want the latest news on NC State delivered right to your email? Subscribe to the Pack Pride newsletter here. It is free and a great way to get daily updates on NC State football, basketball, baseball, recruiting and more delivered straight to your inbox.