March Madness 2022: Perez's late basket lifts NC State to 66-63 win over Irish

Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com.

Raina Perez decided to come back for one more season and hopefully lift N.C. State to new heights. The senior guard did just that, helping the Wolfpack advance to their first regional final in 24 years.

The senior guard stole the ball at midcourt and made a go-ahead layup with 14 seconds left to send the top-seeded Wolfpack to a 66-63 comeback win over No. 5 Notre Dame on Saturday.

It’s the Wolfpack’s first trip to the Elite Eight since 1998, when they reached the Final Four.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

North Carolina State guard Raina Perez goes to the basket for a shot against Notre Dame in the Sweet Sixteen round of the NCAA women's tournament, Saturday, March 26, 2022, in Bridgeport, Conn.  (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

N.C. State had lost in the Sweet 16 the previous three tournaments and looked as if it was going to make it four straight until the late rally led by Perez and Kai Crutchfield, who also came back for the extra COVID year granted by the NCAA.

"For this group it would have been hard for me to face the fact they all came back and we still didn't get over the hump," N.C. State coach Wes Moore said. "That makes me feel really good and I'm so excited for our program to do this, kind of break through. It took a while, four years of the Sweet 16, to get through that wall."

It wasn't the first time that Perez came up huge for the Wolfpack on a big stage. She hit the game-winning jumper to lift them to the ACC tournament championship last season.

Trailing 59-51 early in the fourth quarter, the Wolfpack rallied, scoring 15 of the final 19 points capped by Perez’s layup. The Irish had one last chance, but Maddy