The NC State women’s basketball team is looking for its 23rd NCAA Tournament victory on Friday when it takes on the Mississippi State Bulldogs at 7 p.m.
The Pack (26-8) will travel to Kansas City, Missouri to take on the Bulldogs (34-1) in the third meeting in program history between the two teams.
NC State is coming off two wins in Raleigh over Elon and Maryland to advance to the Sweet 16, while the Bulldogs defeated Nicholls and Oklahoma State in Starkville, Mississippi.
The game between the Pack and the Bulldogs could prove to be a defensive battle as the Pack is 26th nationally in scoring defense and the Bulldogs are 16th. The Pack allows an average of 56.8 points per game and the Bulldogs allow 55.6 in the same category.
NC State has held nine of its opponents to 50 points or less, including Elon in its first-round matchup in the NCAA Tournament.
The Wolfpack’s key to success in this game could lie in dominance on the glass. When the Pack out-rebounds its opponent, the team is 22-6 this season.
Getting to the charity stripe is also a strength for NC State as it is eighth nationally in rebounding margin (9.8) and is fourth in the country in free throw attempts with 738.
Sophomore guard Aislinn Konig will also need to be a factor for the Pack due to her presence behind the arc. Konig has hit 90 3-pointers this season and has hit at least one 3 in her last 32 games with the Pack.
Senior forward Chelsea Nelson has been a deciding force for the Pack as she is averaging 13.1 points along with 9.6 rebounds per game. Nelson leads the team in double-figure scoring games, double-doubles and double-figure rebounding games.
The Bulldogs have only fallen short once this season and it was in the SEC Championship game against South Carolina, the 2017 NCAA National Champions.
Mississippi State prides itself on forcing turnovers, ranking third in the nation with 8.4, compared to NC State’s 0.3, and also has strength inside with junior center Teaira McCowan who ranks third nationally in rebounds per game with 13.3.
If the Pack manages to defeat the Bulldogs on Friday, it will be NC State’s fifth season with at least 27 wins and the Wolfpack will move to 2-1 all-time against Mississippi State.
Tipoff is set for Friday at 7 p.m. from the Sprint Center. The game can be seen on ESPN.
