NC State women’s basketball has two top-25 matchups in two games as the Pack leaves Raleigh for a brief road stint. First up is Florida State on Thursday in a matchup between the ACC’s two best defenses.
The No. 9 Wolfpack (21-1, 8-1 ACC) will try to get back on track following a disappointing double-digit home loss to rival UNC that snapped a 21-game win streak, leaving no undefeated teams in Division-I college basketball. The No. 24 Seminoles are on a streak of their own, with three straight victories including a close win over No. 25 Miami.
The injuries are catching up to NC State. With graduate guard Kaila Ealey, redshirt junior guard Grace Hunter and redshirt senior guard Armani Hawkins out for the year with knee injuries, the Wolfpack has no depth at guard.
Junior guard Aislinn Konig and graduate guard Kiara Leslie have stepped up to lead the backcourt, but sophomore guard Kai Crutchfield struggles to consistently produce as the Pack’s third guard. With numbers as low as they are, NC State can’t afford off nights from their best players.
Freshman center Elissa Cunane may be hitting the freshman wall. Though she shoots 60 percent from the field this year, Cunane is shooting at 42 percent in her last five games. If she struggles off the bench, NC State doesn’t have many other options.
Looking at the Seminoles, Florida State goes as far as forward Kiah Gillespie can take them. Gillespie is in the top five in the ACC for both points and rebounds per game, averaging 17.4 and 8.7, respectively. She has been hot as of late, with back-to-back 20-point games, and will be the best scorer NC State has faced in conference play since Duke’s Haley Gorecki, whom the Pack held to 5 of 19 from the field, including 1 of 7 from 3-point range.
Florida State also boasts a pair of athletic guards in Nicki Ekhomu and Nausia Woolfolk. The two combined for 26.4 points and 6.3 assists per game. However, the two struggle with pressure, Woolfolk in particular, who has a 1.04 assist to turnover ratio. Leslie and Crutchfield should be able to stifle the Seminole offense with good defense.
The keys to the game for NC State will be putting pressure on Florida State’s guards and keeping the ball out of Gillespie’s hands. Winning the turnover margin isn’t common for the Wolfpack, as the team has given the ball away 316 times and only forced 268 giveaways. Florida State takes care of the ball, averaging a turnover margin of plus 4.2. If NC State can reverse their usual fortunes on that front, the Pack will be in good position for a win.
