The No. 3 NC State women’s basketball team is set to return to Raleigh and host Boston College this Sunday, Jan 3, after its New Year’s Eve win in Atlanta. 

This is the second matchup of this season between the Wolfpack (9-0, 4-0 ACC) and the Eagles (4-3, 0-3 ACC). These teams met back in December at the start of ACC action in what was a huge momentum game for the Pack. Despite being down by 16 points with just over six minutes left in the fourth quarter, NC State was able to execute the comeback.

Boston College has not seen any live action since Dec. 20 due to a postponement of its game against Pittsburgh. Prior to that, the Eagles were undefeated outside of conference play but have struggled recently against ACC foes. 

Despite the recent lack of success, the Eagles are still outscoring their opponents 74.7 to 64.9, and they held the Wolfpack to only 27 points in the first half of the last matchup. 

The team also excels from the free-throw line, currently leading the NCAA with an 84.68% free-throw percentage with 105 free throws made on 124 attempts. Guards Marnelle Garraud and Kaylah Ivey lead the team with perfect free-throw percentages, while three players sit right behind them having only missed one, including center Clara Ford, who is 19 for 20. 

One thing the Eagles have struggled with recently, though, is scoring in the paint. In their last game against Syracuse, Boston College was held to just 30 points inside the paint and only scored 24 there in its earlier matchup against NC State. 

NC State enters this game with the advantage, having just come off a win against Georgia Tech, a team that the Eagles struggled against earlier this year. 

The Pack also welcomed back its top scorer, sophomore forward Jada Boyd, since the last time these two teams met. She had an incredible performance against the Yellow Jackets, hitting her third-career double-double with 26 points and 10 rebounds. 

While Boston College has proved it can be a dangerous team, the Pack has shown it can step up to the challenge, and with Boyd’s return, it is likely it will be able to do so again. 

The game will tip off at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 3, and will be aired on the ACC Network. Follow @TechSports on Twitter for live updates.