Rivers scores 22, hits clinching FT in OT to give No. 12 NC State women 75-71 win over No. 17 Orange

Updated Feb. 29, 2024 10:56 p.m. ET

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RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Saniya Rivers scored 22 points, including the clinching free throws with 10.9 seconds left in overtime and No. 12 North Carolina State defeated No. 19 Syracuse 75-71 on Thursday night.

The win gave the Wolfpack a shot at the No. 2 seed in the ACC tournament next week and handed Virginia Tech the out-right title. The Orange are assured a top four seed, which means a double-bye in the tournament.

Syracuse finishes the regular season at 13-5, a half-game ahead of the Wolfpack, who have the tiebreaker. The Wolfpack get the second seed with a win over Wake Forest on Sunday.

Mimi Collins had 15 points for the Wolfpack (24-5), now 7-2 in Top 25 games, and River Baldwin had 13 points and 13 rebounds.

Dyaisha Fair scored 21 points for Syracuse (23-6), which was going for a school record for wins in the regular season but has now lost eight-straight in the series. Georgia Woolley and Izabel Varejao both added 14 points. Latham had 10 rebounds.

Syracuse reached overtime when Alyssa Latham made two free throws with 0.1 seconds left after getting fouled on a shot attempt from the left corner.

Aziaha James' layup with 1:44 left in overtime gave N.C. State a 70-69 lead and it led for the remainder.

Izabel Varejao hit a jumper and then converted a three-point play to cap an 8-0 run that put Syracuse up 60-56 with 6:19 to go. N.C. State didn’t get the lead until Rivers hit a 3 and then fed Baldwin in the lane for a layup that made it 66-64 with 29.5 seconds to go in regulation.

The Wolfpack scored the last eight points of the third quarter to take a 54-52 lead. Zoe Brooks hit a jumper at 1:13 to tie the game and Rivers had a pair of free throws in the closing seconds for the lead.

Fair had 11 points in the first quarter to give Syracuse a 25-21 lead but Baldwin scored four points in a 13-2 run that was capped by five points from Rivers for a 36-33 lead for N.C. State.

___ Get alerts and updates on AP Top 25 basketball throughout the season. Sign up here ___ AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

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