Season 44 of Women's Basketball Begins at Home Friday vs. Jacksonville

Friday, November 10

Raleigh

5PM

NC State

Jacksonville

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Season 44 of Women's Basketball Begins at Home Friday vs. Jacksonville

11/9/2017 1:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball

@PackWomensBball

NC State hosts four straight games to begin new season

November 9, 2017

Tickets | Parking Map | Game Notes | Live Stats | ACC Network Extra

RALEIGH – The NC State women's basketball team officially begins the 44th season in program history and a four-game home stand on Friday when Jacksonville comes to Raleigh. Tip-off between the Wolfpack and Dolphins is scheduled for 5 p.m. from Reynolds Coliseum with live video coverage provided by ACC Network Extra.

A WIN ON FRIDAY WOULD...
-Be the 863rd win in program history (862-452)
-Be the 645th win of head coach Wes Moore's career (644-212)
-Be the Wolfpack's 444th win at Reynolds Coliseum (443-129)
-Mark NC State's 15th straight 1-0 start to a season
-Be NC State's second win over Jacksonville (1-0)

SCOUTING THE DOLPHINS
-Returning three starters from a team that went 23-9 last season (11-3 conference) and advanced to the WNIT for the first time in program history.
-Ranked 10th nationally last season in rebound margin (+8.9).
-Ranked 23rd nationally last season in 3FG% (.363).
-Ranked 24th nationally last season in getting to the FT line (21 FTs per game).
-Seeking to claim second league title in three years.
-Seniors Brandi Buie and Kayla Gordon named to preseason all-conference team.
-Selected to finish second in the ASUN this year and earned two first-place votes.
-Three seniors and six juniors on the roster to comprise nine upperclassmen

SERIES HISTORY
-Friday's game marks the second meeting between NC State and Jacksonville. The Wolfpack won the only prior meeting between the teams, earning an 80-42 victory in Raleigh on Nov. 23, 2011.

STRONG NONCONFERENCE SCHEDULE
NC State has scheduled a strong non-conference slate for the 2017-18 season. The Wolfpack's 13 opponents have an average RPI of 140 from the end of the 2016-17 season with seven having qualified for the postseason.

WOLFPACK QUICK FACTS (PRESEASON)
-Replacing the seniors. NC State graduated four seniors and 43.5 points per game from its 2016-17 season starting lineup. The senior class posted an impressive career record of 86-43 during its time in Raleigh, winning the most games since the 2007-08 seniors finished with an identical career record.

-Improvement in the post. Seniors Chelsea Nelson and Akela Maize will be big factors in the team's success during the 2017-18 season. Nelson has dramatically improved each season and had a career year as a junior last season, averaging 11.2 points and 6.0 rebounds per game while shooting a team high .567 from the field. Maize has also seen her role develop throughout her career and had some of the best games of her career in wins over No. 2/2 Notre Dame and at No. 9/7 Louisville last season.

-Recently renovated Reynolds Coliseum. The 2016-17 season was the first season back in the renovated Reynolds Coliseum, which was offline during the 2015-16 season to undergo an extensive $35 million renovation. NC State had great success in the building last season, going 14-2 on Kay Yow Court. Wolfpack fans turned out in large numbers (2,912 per game) last season, creating a unique home court advantage in the reconfigured seating bowl of 5,500. The momentum from last season's success in the regular season and NCAA Tournament has translated into some of the strongest ticket sales figures in program history, leading to what will be another strong home atmosphere in 2017-18.

-The coach. NC State head coach Wes Moore remains one of the most successful active NCAA women's basketball coaches in the country as he enters his 29th season (fifth at NC State). Moore was named the 2017 ACC Coach of the Year last season, claiming the award for the first time in the 43-year history of women's basketball at NC State. He is 86-43 during his time with the Wolfpack, has posted a 40-24 ACC record, and has led the team to two NCAA Tournament appearances and a postseason invite in all four completed seasons. For his career, Moore is 644-212 and has 23 seasons of 20+ wins to his name.

-Multiple newcomers. NC State welcomes two freshmen (guard Kai Crutchfield and post Kayla Jones) and three transfers (guard Armani Hawkins, guard Kiara Leslie, and guard Grace Hunter) to its roster this season. Two—Hawkins (Arizona State) and Leslie (Maryland)—will be able to play during the 2017-18 season. The third, Hunter (Charlotte), is already proving to be a terrific addition to the team's preparation during practices, as she earned First Team All-CUSA honors last season while averaging 17.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per game for the 49ers.

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