In its second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, the NC State women’s basketball team will stay home at Reynolds Coliseum to take on the Elon Phoenix in the first round Friday.
The Wolfpack (24-8, 11-5 ACC) returns to the big dance after falling to Texas in the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament.
NC State played Elon during its nonconference schedule, beating the Phoenix 70-57 on Dec. 16, but senior forward Chelsea Nelson is making sure the Wolfpack doesn’t underestimate its opponent.
“It’s going to be a competitive game,” Nelson said.
Elon (25-7) is fresh off a championship run in the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament, and is riding a 13-game winning streak. Like the Wolfpack, the Phoenix is also making its second consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
The Phoenix is led by star guard Shay Burnett, who paces the team in points, rebounds and assists. Burnett is averaging 13.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game on the year. The junior guard from Graham is the catalyst of Elon’s offense.
However, 3-point shooting is an issue for Burnett, who is shooting just 25.8 percent from beyond the arc on almost three attempts per game. If the Wolfpack defense is able to stay in front of Burnett on her drives to the lane and force her to settle for outside jumpshots, Elon could be in for a long game.
Rounding out the double-digit scorers for the Phoenix are centers Ra’Shika White and Malaya Johnson. White is scoring 12.8 points per game and grabbing six rebounds per game while Johnson, who is the first player off the bench for the Phoenix, is contributing 12 points and six rebounds per game.
The Phoenix starts an incredibly small, agile lineup, surrounding the 6-foot-4 White with four guards: Burnett, Saadia Munford, Jada Graves and Lexi Mercer, none of whom are above 5-foot-9.
NC State head coach Wes Moore’s hounding Wolfpack defense will have plenty of opportunities to turn Phoenix possessions into points of its own.
Elon is unusually turnover prone, averaging 17.5 turnovers per game. Burnett coughs the ball up 3.5 times a game, while Munford turns it over 2.8 times per game.
The Wolfpack defense, which forces its opponents into almost 15 turnovers per game, can set the tone of the game right off the bat by harassing the Phoenix’s undersized guards into some early turnovers.
NC State’s size advantage will also likely factor into the outcome of the game. The Wolfpack starts three players 6-foot or taller, in redshirt junior forward Kiara Leslie (6-foot), senior forward Chelsea Nelson (6-foot-2) and senior center Akela Maize (6-foot-5).
Frustration could also prove key for the Wolfpack. The Phoenix fouls a lot, over 17 times per game. The Wolfpack’s offense, which is at its best when it’s driving into the lane and going to the foul line, could use the Phoenix’s fouling tendencies to its advantage.
Against the Wolfpack earlier in the season, Burnett played only 23 minutes, her second-fewest of the year, due to getting into foul trouble early and remaining limited the whole game, finishing with four fouls.
The Wolfpack shoots over 21 free throws per game and limits its opponents to fewer than 14 per game. A large disparity in free throw shooting falling in the Wolfpack’s favor could prove fatal for Elon.
The Wolfpack is looking forward to playing in front of a home crowd as a result of securing a four-seed and the opportunity to host the first two rounds.
Maize called playing at home “a really big deal.” Moore echoed her statement, calling it “a special opportunity,” before trying to convince employers to let their workers come to the game.
“We’re looking forward to playing in front of the home crowd,” Moore said. “Not much work gets done after 2 or 3 o’clock anyways, you might as well just let everybody off work and come to the game.”
The Wolfpack starts its tournament run Friday at 2:30 p.m. in Reynolds Coliseum.
