After a rough 1-3 start to ACC play, the NC State women’s basketball team is entering the ACC Tournament on fire, Sunday’s blowout loss to Notre Dame notwithstanding.

The Wolfpack (22-7, 11-5 ACC) has gone 10-2 since an early three-game losing streak in ACC play and is the five-seed in the tournament. The Pack’s run was highlighted by a 65-56 win over then-No. 10 Florida State on Feb. 1. 

NC State’s first game in the ACC Tournament will be on Thursday against the winner of 12-seed UNC-Chapel Hill and 13-seed Boston College. The Wolfpack beat the Tar Heels (14-15, 4-12 ACC) twice this season by an average margin of victory of 16 points. The Pack had no trouble dispatching the Eagles (7-22, 2-14 ACC) either, beating them 72-54 on Feb. 4.

If the Wolfpack wins its first-round game, it’ll set up a date with four-seed Duke on Friday. The Pack lost to then-No. 17 Duke 69-56 on Jan. 7, the last of its three-game losing streak.

An upset over Duke would likely pit the Wolfpack against one-seed Louisville, which is ranked No. 4 in the country and narrowly beat the Wolfpack earlier this season in Raleigh, 55-47.

Tournament favorite Notre Dame, which just walloped the Wolfpack 86-67 in South Bend on Sunday, will likely be waiting in the championship game if the Wolfpack is able to win its first three games.

The Wolfpack will face a tough road to the ACC Championship Game, but it certainly is not out of the realm of possibility. Here are four things to look for during the tournament for the Pack:

Konig’s 3-Point shooting a major key

In the Wolfpack’s five ACC losses, sophomore guard Aislinn Konig shot just 8 for 43 from beyond the arc, knocking down her triples at an extremely poor 18.6 percent clip. In the Pack’s ACC wins, Konig has drilled her 3-pointers at a blistering 38.8 percent clip, connecting on 33 of her 85 attempts.

Konig is seventh in the ACC in 3-point shooting, hitting 35 percent of her triples on the season. If the Wolfpack is going to pull off an upset or two, look for Konig to have a few big games from beyond the arc.

Maize must hold her own down low

Senior center Akela Maize is the Pack’s tallest player, registering at 6-foot-5, but she averages only 5.2 rebounds per game. In the Pack’s ACC losses, Maize averaged less than five rebounds, corralling only 4.8 boards per game.

For a Wolfpack team that relies on offensive rebounds leading to second-chance points, Maize is going to have to be a force down low for the Wolfpack to go on an ACC Tournament run. The Pack averages over 14 offensive rebounds and will need Maize to come through if it wants to beat the three Top-25 teams in its path.

Chelsea Nelson is a bona fide superstar

Senior forward Chelsea Nelson has emerged as one of the best players in the ACC. Nelson leads the Wolfpack in scoring and rebounding, and is second on the team in field-goal percentage.

Nelson is scoring 13.1 points per game on 45.6 percent shooting and is grabbing 9.3 rebounds per game. In a Feb. 22 game against Pittsburgh, Nelson dropped a career-high 30 points, punctuating an excellent senior season. Nelson’s 9.3 rebounds per game is good for third in the ACC and is over three rebounds per game more than the Pack’s second-leading rebounder.

The Pack will likely go where Nelson leads them and if her dominant showing in ACC play is any indication, NC State may be ready to pull off a few upsets.

Turnover differential could prove key

The Wolfpack plays an aggressive style of defense under head coach Wes Moore, forcing an even 15 turnovers per game. This hounding defense has helped the Pack limit opposing teams to just 57.4 points per game, third best in the ACC.

On the other side of the ball, turnovers are just as big a problem for the Pack as they are for its opponents. NC State also turns the ball over 15 times per game, and sits at a -1 turnover differential for the season.

In its first game against UNC or BC, the more-talented Wolfpack can afford to be sloppy with the ball and pull out a win, but if it wants to get its revenge on Duke, Louisville or Notre Dame, it is absolutely vital that the Wolfpack be careful with the ball on offense and force its opponents into turnovers on the defensive end.

The Wolfpack’s first game will tip off at 11 a.m. on Thursday at the Greensboro Coliseum.