The No. 4 NC State women’s basketball team starts ACC play this Sunday, Dec. 13, against Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. 

This is the first ACC matchup for the Pack (5-0) this season, as it started 2020 with five games of nonconference play. So far, it has already defeated then-No. 1 South Carolina and, most recently, beat Elon by a final score of 76-47.

Boston College (4-1, 0-1 ACC) has already played five matchups in 2020. The Eagles defeated all of their nonconference opponents but lost in their first ACC game against Georgia Tech.

The Eagles are led by junior forward Taylor Soule, who averages 17.6 points per game and 7.6 rebounds per game. Soule scored 19 points against Georgia Tech, but despite the efforts of her and junior guards Makayla Dickens and Cameron Swartz, who both also put up numbers in the double digits, the team was unable to overcome the Yellow Jackets.

Freshman guard Kaylah Ivey and junior guard Marnelle Garraud lead the Eagles’ defense, each recording 11 steals in the first five games. Garraud also has 17 turnovers to her name, second on the team to Dickens. 

Boston College has a strong team full of powerful scorers, but as shown in its matchup against Georgia Tech, if the Eagles don’t start strong, they can have trouble overcoming the intensity of other ACC opponents.  

NC State has played well all season, and it has the wins to prove it. 

Junior center Elissa Cunane has been brilliant in the Pack’s first five games, including a near-perfect double-double performance in the recent win over Elon. The Pack is also headlined by senior forward Kayla Jones and sophomore wing Jakia Brown-Turner. Jones and Brown-Turner each put up 12 points against Elon and recorded three assists. 

One thing both the Eagles and the Wolfpack excel in is scoring off turnovers, especially in recent matchups. Against Elon, NC State recorded 16 points off turnovers, and despite its recent contest ending in a loss to Georgia Tech, Boston College tallied 17 points off turnovers in that game as well. 

While Boston College can be a threatening team, if the Wolfpack continues its same intensity from the rest of the season, this matchup should result in another win. ACC play will officially tip off for the Pack on Dec. 13 at 2 p.m. in Chestnut Hill. The game will be broadcast live on the ACC Network.