The Guru’s NCAAW Report: N.C. State Rallies to Slip Past Duke in the ACC While Florida Handles Host Arkansas in the SEC

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

While the flood of conference collisions is about to come cascading on the scene momentarily only one such occurred Monday night in what was more like a spillover from the weekend of exciting action yet what was a preview in what’s ahead.

And actually, there were only two games on the original radar, which will make this shorter, but the next post will preview the rest of the week.

In the ACC, from those two adjoining neighbor rivals in what once known as Tobacco Road but now more often referred to as the Research Triangle, No. 14 N.C. State moved a step closer back to the Top 10 at home in Raleigh in Reynolds Coliseum eventually at the finish beating No.10 Duke 89-83 from the other side of the airport between them in Durham.

Aziaha James made it a career night for the winners, scoring 36 points off a deadly accurate 15 of 19 shots from the field with six rebounds for the Wolfpack (18-4, 10-1).

It’s the second straight year she has gone personal best on the Blue Devils (17-5, 8-2), 13 months after lighting them up for 33 in the same building once the province of the legendary Kay Yow.

Duke certainly had chances through one of its own, Ashlon James, who scored 23 and hit six shots from deep and the Blue Devils went 20-0 during the first half to build a 13-point lead early in the third period.

But then James, who had 27 of her total in the second half, started to take matters into her own hands.

In fact, she did so in what was the annual Play 4 Kay initiative held in schools across the country in the fight against breast cancer that claimed her before her time.

The fundraiser for research brought in nearly $478,000 raised on the court that now bears Yow’s name, the Associated Press reported.

Duke parted with a five-game win streak and N.C. made it seven straight, with just one loss in early December.

James closed the challenge toward the game’s conclusion, the Wolfpack up three before she made it five by taking Zoe Brooks’ inbound pass and making a contested shot against Blue Devils rookie star Toby Fournier with 35.9 seconds left in regulation.

N.C. State freshman Lorena Awou, who hadn’t been much of an offensive threat, made six of her eight points in the fourth quarter.

Duke, away from home in almost three weeks, is back in Cameron Indoor Stadium Thursday night hosting Clemson while N.C.  State visits No. 22 Florida State on Sunday.

In the other game on the card, locals here are not back until a plentiful group on Wednesday, in the SEC Florida won at Arkansas 108-78 as the Gators (12-11, 3-6)) from freshman Liv McGill collected 18 points and 11 assists.

Laila Reynolds scored 14, but a freshman reserve was the high scorer in Me’Arah O’Neal scored 19, while Ra Shaya Kyle scored 13 with 12 boards, and Jeriah Warren scored 12.

All of it overcame 40 points from the Razorbacks’ Izzy Higginbottom, who also had seven boards and four assists. Jenna Lawrence added 12 points and six boards for Arkansas (9-15, 2-7).

On Tuesday night in the Atlantic 10 Fordham is at George Washington in the nation’s capital.

Looking Ahead

Nationally, a Top 10 showdown onWednesday in the Big Ten as No. 8 Ohio State visits No. 1 UCLA in Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles.

Locally, Richmond and Saint Joseph’s will be nearby but not yet in an Atlantic 10 showdown because the out-of-town Spiders will be at La Salle at 6:30 p.m. in the John E. Glaser Arena while the Hawks will be hosting Saint Louis at Hagan Arena on Hawk Hill at 7 p.m., both games airing on ESPN+.

Penn State hosts new Big Ten member Washington at 6 p.m. in the Bryce Jordan Center at State College, while Temple tries to get out of its three-game slide in the American Athletic Conference hosting Memphis at 11 a.m. in the annual Education Day game at the Liacouras Center on ESPN+.

Villanova is at Butler in the Big East at 7 p.m. in Hinkle Pavilion in Indianapolis on FloSports.

 Elsewhere, back in the Big East second place Creighton hosts third-place Seton Hall at 7 p.m. on FloSports, Toledo is at Buffalo in the Mid-American Conference at 11 a.m. on ESPN+ while another MAC game has Bowling Green at Ball State at 6:30 pm. On ESPN+.

No. 7 Southern Cal in the Big Ten is at Wisconsin at 7:30 p.m. on Peacock.

And that’s the report for now.