North Carolina’s State home upset over No. 1 Notre Dame on Sunday proves there may not be a clear national championship favorite in the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
The Wolfpack outlasted the Fighting Irish 104-95 in double overtime, snapping Notre Dame’s 19-game win streak and keeping NC State’s hopes of winning a share of the ACC regular-season title alive.
The Wolfpack could’ve won the game earlier had it not been for Fighting Irish guard Sonia Citron drilling a clutch three-pointer in the final moments of regulation.
However, NC State took control of the game in the second overtime, outscoring Notre Dame 12-3.
According to “SportsCenter’s” X account, the Wolfpack (22-5, 14-2 ACC) are the first team to score 100 points against an Associated Press No. 1 team in women’s college basketball this century.
When the new rankings are revealed on Monday, it wouldn’t be surprising if Notre Dame (24-3, 15-1 ACC) falls.
Three teams (Notre Dame, South Carolina and UCLA) have already been ranked No. 1 this season. Doug Feinberg of the Associated Press recently reported it’s the first time since the 2020-21 season that many teams have held that spot.
More importantly, teams like NC State seem to have the talent to compete with elite squads in March Madness. Against Notre Dame, Wolfpack sophomore guard Zoe Brooks scored a game-high 33 points, while Wolfpack senior guard Aziaha James had 20.
If no team separates itself from the rest of the field before the NCAA Tournament starts on March 19, there could be more games like NC State-Notre Dame’s thriller. In that case, fans would be in for a treat.
