The NC State women’s basketball team begins the 2016-17 season Saturday as it takes on Wofford in its home opener. The game marks the first official contest for a basketball team in Reynolds Coliseum since the building was renovated. It also headlines the first of four-straight home matchups for the Pack.
Coming off of last season’s 20-11 record, the Wolfpack should be hungry to tip off the new season, one that is full of high expectations after having missed the NCAA Tournament in the previous two.
NC State returns its top five scorers from last season and adds a few big-name recruits to give head coach Wes Moore a deep and skilled squad.
“We’ve got a lot of things to work on, but it’s good to be back out there and get going,” Moore said in his press conference following NC State’s 96-41 exhibition win over UNC-Pembroke Friday.
NC State is currently ranked just outside the AP preseason poll, receiving two votes, and has the potential to deal out heavy damage this year in the stacked ACC. The Wolfpack has been picked to finish seventh in the conference, but the team has overcome preseason expectations in all of Wes Moore’s previous three seasons as head coach.
Led by seniors Jennifer Mathurin, Miah Spencer and Dominique Wilson, the Wolfpack will likely look to exert its superior athletic ability against Wofford this weekend. Mathurin scored a team-high 16 points while adding six rebounds and three assists in the exhibition win over the UNC-Pembroke Braves.
Wofford, a member of the Southern Conference, is gearing up for the 2016-17 season after earning a forgettable 9-20 record last year. Of those returning to the Terriers from last year, senior Maria Corella could have the biggest impact. Corella broke out last season to finish second in team scoring with 8.6 points per game after only starting 17 of 29 games.
On paper, Wofford looks very similar to UNCP, which NC State had no trouble handling last week. Both Pembroke and Wofford play in small conferences, the Peach Belt and Southern respectively, and neither team did especially well in those conferences last year. The Terriers finished six out of eight while the Braves finished six out of seven teams.
NC State should have no problem outscoring the Terriers with the addition of freshmen Aislinn Konig and Lucky Rudd. Konig regularly put up big points while playing in British Columbia last year. In high school, Rudd averaged 11.5 PPG and 4.2 rebounds per game as a senior while leading her team to the NISAA Championship Game.
After facing Wofford, NC State will matchup against Hampton, College of Charleston and Maryland Eastern Shore before flying to the Virgin Islands for the Paradise Jam tournament that begins on Nov. 24.
Given the depth that State holds on the court, with the mix of versatile senior leaders and talented freshmen, the team could very well head to the Virgin Islands undefeated.
Saturday’s matchup with Wofford will tip off at 6 p.m. The game can also be viewed on ACC Network Extra.
Redshirt freshman guard Kaila Ealey dribbles the ball up to the hoop. The Wolfpack faced off against UNC-Pembroke in Reynolds Coliseum on Friday. The Wolfpack won against the Braves in the first exhibition game, 96-41.
