With an 82-75 win over Boston College Saturday afternoon, the NC State women’s basketball team secured its place in the ACC Tournament championship game for the first time in 10 years.
In the two hours prior to the Wolfpack’s big win, a similarly positive result occurred. In a down-to-the-wire finish, fourth-seeded Florida State upset first-seeded No. 4 Louisville 62-60, knocking off the Cardinals and opening an easier path for the Wolfpack to its first ACC Tournament championship in 29 years.
Although the Seminoles’ win means NC State gets to avoid Louisville, who knocked the Wolfpack out of the last two ACC Tournaments, a date with Florida State won’t be all sunshine and roses.
“They’re very talented, and they’ve grown throughout the season,” said senior guard Aislinn Konig. “That Louisville game was pretty exciting, and I think they’re going to try to push the tempo, and they’re going to challenge us by attacking. It’s really going to come down to us making sure we focus on our defense and rebounding the ball.”
Leading scorer and rebounder Kiah Gillespie is a force down low and is going to attack sophomore center Elissa Cunane all game. The 6-foot-2 forward had a double-double in the win over Louisville with 15 points and 16 rebounds, using her physicality to her advantage.
In the backcourt, guards Nicki Ekhomu and Nausia Woolfolk make up one of the best duos of guards in the ACC. Both scoring over 14 points per game, they differ in their styles. Ekhomu tends to break defenses down off the dribble, either pulling up for a mid-range jumper or dishing out to her teammates, as she averages nearly five assists per game.
Playing more of an off-ball guard role, Woolfolk is a lethal outside shooter. She hit two 3s against Louisville while leading the team in scoring with 16 points; even an inch of space is enough for her to pull up from deep. Woolfolk also crashes the boards well for a guard, hauling in 5.2 rebounds per game, good for second on the team behind Gillespie.
“They are great scorers,” Konig said. “They can score from going off the dribble to get to the hoop, or they can shoot 3s. It puts a lot of pressure on our defense as a whole and rotating. I think that we’re gonna have to really focus in on our communication and making sure that we’re taking away the easier shots and forcing them to take more difficult shots.”
Similar to the Wolfpack, Florida State hit a rough patch toward the end of the season, closing out the regular season with a 2-3 record in its last five games. But the Seminoles have rebounded in a big way in the ACC Tournament, destroying Wake Forest 76-47 on Thursday and upsetting Louisville on Friday. When Florida State is playing up to its ability, the Seminoles are one of the best teams in the country.
The game will tip off inside the Greensboro Coliseum at noon and will be broadcast live on ESPN2.
