Coming off a win over Clemson Saturday, the No. 18 NC State women’s basketball team will look to build its NCAA Tournament resume against Pittsburgh Thursday, and on the road at UNC-Chapel Hill Saturday, Jan. 29.
The Wolfpack (15-5, 5-2 ACC) has shot up in the rankings and conference standings after a recent string of excellent play, including wins over then-No. 14 Duke, No. 6 Florida State and No. 2 Notre Dame. Pitt (12-7, 3-3 ACC) sits in the middle of the conference standings, but should be an opponent that State handles with ease.
NC State has relied heavily upon its impressive guard play for most of the season. Senior guard Miah Spencer is averaging 10.7 points per game while also shooting 39.4 percent from 3-point range. The Wolfpack also has another threat from behind the arc in senior Ashley Williams, who is shooting 41.9 percent from long range on a team-high 105 attempts.
The Panthers will need to rely on sophomore forward and leading scorer Breanna Wise if they wish to pull off the upset. Wise is averaging 14.7 PPG on the season while also grabbing 6.9 rebounds per game and is currently shooting 46 percent from the field.
While State is securely in the field of 64 for now, a win over Pitt would help to keep the team ranked and in good standing with the selection committee come March. With a relatively easy schedule coming up in which the Wolfpack face just two ranked teams in its next nine games, a loss to a mediocre conference opponent would surely be a blemish on its resume.
NC State’s next opponent, UNC (12-8, 1-5 ACC), has struggled in conference play, losing four in a row since its lone conference win against Virginia.
Last year, the Wolfpack dominated the Tar Heels twice, and that trend should continue this year if State can maintain its strong conference performance.
When the Wolfpack travels to Chapel Hill for the Sunday contest, it will need to look out for sophomore guard Stephanie Watts. Watts is leading the Tar Heels in scoring with 18.6 PPG, the second-best scoring average in the ACC. Along with her prolific scoring tendencies, she also leads the team in rebounds with 8.6 per game.
The matchup against Pitt will take place Thursday at 7 p.m. in Reynolds Coliseum. The Pack will then make the short trip to UNC to take on the Tar Heels Sunday at 3 p.m.
