By ANNE M. PETERSON AP Sports activities Author

PORTLAND, Ore.  — Aziaha James had 29 factors and third-seeded North Carolina State earned its third journey to the ladies’s Elite Eight with a 77-67 victory over second-seeded Stanford on Friday evening.

Saniya Rivers added 13 factors and 7 rebounds for the Wolfpack (30-6), who fell behind by 10 factors however rallied within the third quarter and led by as many as 15 factors within the fourth quarter.

AP All-American Cameron Brink fouled out with 8:10 left within the sport. She completed with 13 factors, 9 rebounds and 7 blocks in her remaining sport for Stanford (30-6). Kiki Iriafen led the Cardinal with 26 factors and 10 rebounds.

Stanford, underneath Corridor of Fame coach Tara VanDerveer, was vying for its twenty third look within the Elite Eight. They’d reached that milestone in 5 of the final seven years.

N.C. State went on a 13-2 third quarter run capped by a pair of 3-pointers from James to go up 49-45. The Wolfpack led 55-47 going into the fourth quarter.

James opened the ultimate interval with a 3-pointer that beat the shot clock.

The Wolfpack defeated Tennessee 79-72 within the second spherical in Raleigh. It helped erase the unhealthy feeling from the season earlier than, when the group fell to Princeton within the opening spherical.

The Cardinal wanted extra time to get previous seventh-seeded Iowa State 87-81 in a second-round sport at residence in Maples Pavilion. Iriafen completed with 41 factors after Brink fouled out.

Brink, who’s from the Portland space, has already introduced that she’s declaring herself eligible for the WNBA draft, though she had yet one more season of eligibility.

Stanford was bodily in the beginning. Brink had six rebounds and three blocks within the first quarter alone, however the Cardinal held a slender 12-11 lead.

Hannah Soar led all scorers with 10 factors within the first half for Stanford. Iriafen performed simply seven minutes due to foul hassle however had eight factors and 7 rebounds, and the Cardinal ended the primary half on a 9-2 run to steer 37-27.

Brink picked up her third foul with 5:35 left within the third quarter and went to the bench. Quickly thereafter N.C. State tied the sport at 43 on Zoe Brooks’ layup earlier than James made back-to-back 3-pointers.

Stanford is amongst 5 Pac-12 groups — most of any convention — that superior to the Candy 16 because the league’s days dwindle due to convention realignment. Earlier within the day, Oregon State earned a spot within the Elite Eight with a 70-65 victory over Notre Dame within the Albany Area.

Stanford and California each determined to hitch the ACC final summer time, a part of a collapse that left simply two groups — Oregon State and Washington State — in a Pac-2. That may put the Cardinal in the identical convention as N.C. State subsequent season.

N.C. State’s males’s group, an eleventh seed, beat second-seeded Marquette 67-58 on Friday evening to additionally advance to the Elite Eight.

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AP March Insanity bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket/ and protection: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madnessCo