In the midst of a two-game skid, the NC State women’s basketball team looks to right the ship on the road in Charlottesville against ACC-rival Virginia.
The Pack last played Sunday on the road at No. 23 Syracuse, falling to the Orange 66-49. Shooting 27 percent from the field and 29 percent from three, NC State had only one player reach double figures: redshirt sophomore guard Dominique Wilson, who scored 12.
With the threat of its two-game losing streak stretching to a season-high three, the Wolfpack (12-8, 3-4 ACC) hopes a matchup with the Cavaliers (13-7, 3-4 ACC) is just what the doctor ordered.
The Wahoos limp into tonight’s contest having lost four of their last five games, most recently in a narrow defeat at the hands of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Sunday.
Guard Faith Randolph tallied 23 points on the night with fellow guard Breyana Mason tacking on 14 of her own. Much of the scoring for the Cavalier offense this season has come in the form of guards Sarah Imovbioh, Mikayla Venson and Randolph, who average 14.0, 11.0 and 18.2 points per game, respectively.
As a team, the Cavs average 69.4 PPG on the offensive side of ball while only allowing an average of 62.2 PPG on defense. The Pack will have its hands full dealing with Virginia’s scoring trio if it wants to keep this game within reach.
The Wolfpack matches up fairly well with the Hoos on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Like Virginia, NC State averages around 69.2 PPG and yields an average of 62 PPG.
State also has a three-headed scoring monster of its own in the form of sophomore guard Miah Spencer, redshirt senior guard Len’Nique Brown-Hoskin and Wilson, who averages 13.4, 10.4 and 14.2 PPG, respectively.
The Pack is also averaging a respectable 39 percent field-goal percentage, all while shooting 33 percent from three-point range.
This just might be the perfect formula for the Wolfpack to notch a much-needed ACC win and get the ball rolling again while building momentum for the rest of the season.
UVA’s recent struggles haven’t just come against ranked teams, but unranked as well, losing to unranked Miami (FL) and Georgia Tech. In the case of common opponents, both the Pack and Cavs have each faced the Davidson Wildcats with two very different outcomes.
The Pack defeated the Cats 82-66 back in late December, whereas the Wahoos lost to the Wildcats Dec. 28 by a score of 67-57. Losing to a 5-15 team at home never looks good, and in the Pack’s case, it just might be the confidence booster head coach Wes Moore needs for his team.
Tonight’s showdown is the only scheduled meeting between the Wolfpack and Cavaliers for the 2014-15 season, barring a possible matchup in the ACC Tournament. With a win, the Pack would finish the month of January with an even .500 record after splitting its last eight games.
After tonight’s contest in Charlottesville, the Pack returns home for a two-game home stand with games coming against the Pittsburgh Panthers and in-state rival Wake Forest.
With only eight games remaining, every game is crucial for the Pack’s chances at earning a bid to the NCAA Tournament.
