Wolfpack women’s basketball is back in action on Thursday, Feb. 11 to face off against the Clemson Tigers as it continues to prove how good this program can be. Despite dropping its second game of the season in its last matchup, the Pack has much more to prove.
After beating the then-No. 1 ranked Louisville Cardinals earlier in the week, the Pack had a very decent chance of overtaking the top ranking in women’s college hoops.UNC had different ideas, however, stunning the Pack with a rather decisive 76-69 victory in Carmichael Arena.
Despite such a tough loss at such an inopportune time for this Wolfpack squad, Clemson has not gotten off to the hottest start itself. Sitting at 10-7, 5-7 ACC on the season, the Tigers currently hold the eighth spot in the ACC. Clemson is coming off its own loss, dropping a matchup against No. 3 in the ACC, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
The 71-69 loss was a heartbreaker for the Tigers, who looked like the best team on the court at times. Clemson managed to shoot nearly 50% from the field on 53 shots and posted an impressive 43.8% 3-point percentage by shooting 7-for-16 from deep. Those numbers were far better than what Georgia Tech was able to put up, shooting worse than Clemson from the field, from 3 and from the free-throw line. Georgia Tech’s offense just ran at a slightly higher volume than Clemson’s, shooting the ball 61 times to the Tigers’ 53.
A two-point loss is not the greatest marker of season success, but this Clemson team is no stranger to being a part of tight games. The Tigers have had several games decided by three or less points and have gone to overtime twice, one of which went into double overtime.
Despite the lackluster conference record of 5-7, this Tiger team has plenty of upset potential. The team has proved it multiple times so far this season, including wins against the current No. 4 team in the ACC, Syracuse, and No. 6 in the ACC, Florida State.
That upset potential is spearheaded by guard Delicia Washington, who is averaging a team-high 15.3 points per game. Guards Gabby Elliot and Kendall Spray round out the Clemson scorers with over 10 points per game apiece. Elliot and Spray also pose a large threat from outside the arch, leading Clemson in 3-pointers made.
The Tigers were hoping to get a game in between the No. 3 and No. 2 teams in the ACC, but unfortunately for them, the game against Boston College was postponed. This game would have been a great way for Clemson to bounce back into the win column as the Eagles are currently a bottom-three program in the ACC.
The matchup between the Tigers and NC State swings in the Pack’s favor historically, with an all-time record of 59-30. The dominance exemplified by the record can be seen in even more detail when analyzing the matchup over the last 10 meetings, where the Pack is a clean 10-0 since Feb. 10, 2013. The game is scheduled to be played in Raleigh as well, where the Pack holds a commanding 28-7 all-time home record against the Tigers.
While a Pack loss to the Clemson Tigers seems highly unlikely given the form the Wolfpack team is in this season, the last game against UNC should prove that NC State has to work for every bit of its record.
The Wolfpack and the Tigers each have a chance to get back into the win column on Thursday, Feb. 11, where the programs will face off in Reynolds Coliseum at 4 p.m. The game will be televised on a regional sports network. Live updates on this game and many more matchups involving NC State can be found on the @TechSports Twitter page.
