The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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34 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY NOAH FLEISCHMAN aniya Rivers raced around the Reynolds Coliseum f l o o r, h i g h - f iv i n g a ny hand that reached toward her red-dyed hair. Madi- son Hayes posed with a random baby, while Azi- aha James soaked up the roar emanating from the 5,500 red- and-white-clad fans who had packed the 76-year-old gym. James seemed overwhelmed by the standing ovation she and her fellow se- niors received. Tears streaming down her face, she leaned into assistant coach Nikki West's arms on the baseline near the entrance to the NC State locker room. "Wolfpack Nation has been behind my back since I came here," James said moments later. "Just the love that they bring. You know, they're not just fans. They're our family. They take care of us." It was the punctuation mark on the second-seeded Wolfpack's 83-49 win over No. 7 seed Michigan State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on March 24. The Wolfpack's dominant postsea- son win clinched its sixth Sweet 16 ap- pearance since 2018 and completed the team's third-ever undefeated season inside Reynolds Coliseum. Its 18 wins at home were the most in a single season in the Pack's 51 campaigns as a program. NC State's veteran trio, who com- bined to score 60 of the Pack's 83 points in their last appearance of the season in Reynolds Coliseum, improved to 47-4 at home in their three years together. Small Is Beautiful It's a building with a storied history, having served as the home court to a pair of legendary coaches in Jim Val- vano and Kay Yow, while also supplying the backdrop to great performances by such star players as David Thompson and Dereck Whittenburg. NO PLACE LIKE HOME NC State Relishes Its Home-Court Advantage During An Undefeated Season At Reynolds Coliseum S