The No. 8 NC State women’s basketball team will host Syracuse Thursday night in its final home game of the season.
The Wolfpack (23-4, 12-4 ACC) has fallen behind Louisville, making a share of the ACC regular season title a distant dream, while the Orange (15-12, 9-7 ACC) is still battling for a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
Syracuse has had an up-and-down season thus far, with wins over No. 5 Louisville and No. 8 Florida State and a loss to Miami, the team in third-to-last place in the conference. With drastically different performances from game to game, it is difficult to tell which Syracuse team will show up. However, when it plays well, the Orange is capable of beating nearly anyone.
Syracuse has had a middling season, both offensively and defensively. The Orange is ranked seventh in the conference in offense, right behind NC State, averaging 68.8 points per game. Syracuse is led in scoring by redshirt junior guard Kiara Lewis, with 17.8 points per game. On defense, Syracuse is ranked 10th in the conference, giving up an average of 65.9 points per game.
Despite starting the season incredibly strong, the Pack has gone through a stretch of struggles. NC State has lost three of its last four games, with all three of those losses at home. The Pack is running out of time to get back on track before the ACC Tournament in Greensboro. Its last two games, at home against the Orange and away at Virginia, need to be strong outings.
As is tradition for the final home game of the season, Thursday night is senior night for the Wolfpack. Seniors Aislinn Konig, Erika Cassell, Grace Hunter and Katie Wadsworth will be honored prior to the game for their contributions to the program.
Tipoff is at 8 p.m. at Reynolds Coliseum, and the game will be televised on the ACC Network. Follow @TechSports on Twitter for live updates and recaps.
