The NC State women’s basketball team goes on the road to play North Carolina at Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill this Thursday.
The Wolfpack (14-0, 3-0 ACC) has had a strong start to its season, with a perfect record this far into ACC play for the second season in a row. The Tar Heels (11-3, 2-1 ACC) have done well, only being dealt one ACC loss, by Virginia Tech, 76-70. In comparison, the Wolfpack overcame a 14-point deficit to beat Virginia Tech 76-69.
On top of being undefeated, the Wolfpack has defeated the Tar Heels a total of 58 times in Pack history, seven more times than the Tar Heels have returned the favor. But the Wolfpack has a losing record on the Tar Heels’ home court at 20-27.
Last season, the Wolfpack managed to secure a late-season road victory in Chapel Hill, 74-69. The Wolfpack proved to be more efficient in rebounding and making free throws. The Pack hauled in five more rebounds than the Tar Heels. The Pack also made 77% of its foul shots while the Tar Heels fell short with only a 62% success rate.
The Wolfpack also has more depth on the bench and makes use of the paint for layups. This gives the Wolfpack more options for both rotations and scoring that could possibly give the Pack the advantage it needs to overcome the Tar Heels.
Both the Wolfpack and the Tar Heels have lost their top scorers from 2018-19. The Pack lost all-around guard Kiara Leslie who had scored 21 points in the Pack’s last game against the Tar Heels while North Carolina guard Paris Kea, who had put up 32 points, also graduated.
The Tar Heels’ returning scorer is senior guard Shayla Bennet, who followed Kea’s strong performance with a solid 18 points last season in the second rivalry game. For the Wolfpack, junior forward Kayla Jones and sophomore center Elissa Cunane return. Jones and Cunane followed Leslie’s performance against the Tar Heels last season with 14 and 12 points, respectively.
The Wolfpack has a strong momentum right now but the Tar Heels will have the home court advantage and crowd for support.
The Wolfpack will tip off at 7 p.m. in hopes of continuing its winning streak in the ACC conference.
