I don’t know what it is about the third quarter—or maybe what Wes Moore says at halftime—but NC State is excelling in that part of the game. The Wolfpack outscored NC A&T 20-7 in the third quarter of their first round matchup, and this afternoon outscored USF 24-11 in the third.
The third-quarter boost was a bit more important this time around, since NC State trailed at halftime. State opened the second half on a 12-4 run to build a seven-point lead on the Bulls, and the lead grew to as many as 14 on a pair of Elissa Cunane free throws late in the period.