After a successful 2016 season, the NC State women’s basketball team heads into the ACC Tournament as the No. 6 seed.
After being riddled by injuries last season and ending up as the No. 10 seed in last year’s ACC Tournament, Wes Moore has the Wolfpack (19-10, 10-6 ACC) going in the right direction in his third season as the head coach. The play of its junior class has been vital to the team’s success this season.
Let’s start with Miah Spencer, who is the team’s first option as point guard. She leads the team in assists (5.0) and steals (1.6) per game, and is second on the team in points (13.8) and third in rebounds per game (4.6). Along with her production, her ball skills and offensive versatility helped earn her a spot on the All-ACC second-team.
Guard Dominique Wilson also made the All-ACC second-team. She leads the team in scoring with 15.6 points per game and 3-pointers made with 50, boasts an 83.6 free-throw percentage on the year and had just one less steal than Spencer did on the year. Like Spencer, she has great offensive versatility, and can score in a variety of different ways.
Rounding out the starting guards is the former walk-on Ashley Williams. She is the team’s 3-point ace, leading the Pack with a 35.3 3-point field goal percentage. Additionally, she is second on the team with 2.2 assists per game.
Forward Jennifer Mathurin, a Montreal native, also provides a spark as a stretch-4. She leads the team with 7.0 rebounds per game, is second with 49 3-pointers made, making 33.1 percent of them, and is third on the team with 11.1 points per game.
The Wolfpack plays No. 14 seeded Boston College (14-15, 2-14 ACC) after the Eagles topped the No. 11 seeded Virginia Tech Hokies in a low-scoring game, 49-37. BC turned the ball over 23 times, but outrebounded the Hokies 44-27 and held them to 22 percent from the field.
Junior guard Kelly Hughes will be one player to watch for the Eagles. She leads the team with 14.2 and 5.7 rebounds per game, and tallied 12 and five against VT. Freshman center Mariella Fasoula is second on the team in both categories, averaging 13.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, and garnered nine and six against the Hokies.
If the Pack advances, it will play No. 3 Syracuse (23-6, 13-3 ACC). Earlier this season, NC State lost 55-52 in the Hoops 4 Hope game. While the Orange’s full-court defense has a knack for forcing turnovers, the Wolfpack only lost the ball 12 times. However, it only shot 29.7 percent from the field, hindering its chances of winning.
For the Orange, junior guard Alexis Peterson leads the team with 14.5 points and 5.2 assists per game. She scored 16 against the Wolfpack earlier this season. Senior guard Brianna Butler is the team’s 3-point specialist, as she has made 103 on the year and is right behind Peterson in scoring with 14.0 points per game. Junior center Bria Day adds 10.4 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, and she put up 14 and 12 against the Pack Feb. 14.
NC State certainly has its hands full in its ACC Tournament matchups. While it will be tough, advancing to the semifinals for the second time in three years is certainly not out of reach.
