NC State
Boston College
#9 Wolfpack Opens ACC Play with Road Trip to Boston College
12/28/2019 11:11:00 AM | Women's Basketball
GAME NOTES | LIVE STATS | WATCH LIVE
RALEIGH – The ninth-ranked and unbeaten NC State women's basketball team (11-0) opens Atlantic Coast Conference play on the road on Sunday afternoon as it visits Boston College. Tip-off is scheduled for 12 p.m. from the Conte Forum, and live national television coverage will be provided by the ACC Network.
A WIN ON SUNDAY WOULD...
• Be the 928th win in program history (927-467)
• Be the 710th win of head coach Wes Moore's career (709-227)
• Be Moore's 152nd win as head coach at NC State (151-58)
• Be Moore's 64th ACC victory at NC State (63-33)
• Be NC State's fourth season in a row opening ACC action with a victory
• Continue the Wolfpack's third-best start to a season (12-0) in program history
NOTING THE WOLFPACK (11-0, 0-0 ACC)
• Ranked ninth in the AP and USA Today polls since Dec. 9
• Selected to finish second in the ACC this season
• Finished non-conference play with a perfect record for the second season in a row
• One of nine remaining unbeaten teams
• No. 2 nationally in defensive rebounds per game (33.6)
• No. 3 in rebound margin (+14.5)
• No. 6 in field-goal percentage defense (.311)
• No. 12 in scoring defense (51.9)
• No. 14 in scoring margin (+22.6)
SCOUTING THE EAGLES (7-5, 0-1 ACC)
• Predicted to finish 13th in the ACC this season
• 13th nationally in scoring offense (80.8)
• 25th in field-goal percentage (.458)
• Lead the conference in assists per game (16.3) and turnovers forced per game (19.0)
• Perfect 5-0 at home in 2019-20
• Four players average 10.3+ points per game
SERIES HISTORY (NC State leads 16-8)
• NC State enters Sunday's matchup on a five-game winning streak in the series.
• The Pack is 5-6 when playing at Boston College.
• The Wolfpack's last meeting with the Eagles was for its first ACC road game of the 2018-19 season. NC State defeated Boston College 85-69 at the Conte Forum on Jan. 6, 2019.
TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS ON THE ROAD
Now in season seven under head coach Wes Moore, the Wolfpack has earned 42 true road wins (average of 7.0 per completed season) since the start of the 2013-14 campaign. In the prior eight seasons from 2005-06 to 2012-13, the Pack earned 32 true road wins (4.0 per season).
STIFLING DEFENSE
NC State ranks among the top teams in the nation in multiple defensive categories. In addition to its top-three national mark in defensive rebounds per game (33.6), the Wolfpack ranks sixth nationally in field-goal percentage defense (.311) and 12th in the nation in scoring defense (51.9). The Pack's stifling defense has limited six of its opponents this season to less than 50 points and five of its opponents to under 30 percent shooting from the field.
PROWESS IN THE PAINT
The Wolfpack has not only shown its strength in shutting down the interior and cleaning up the boards on the defensive side but has also displayed a tremendous ability to score in the paint on the offensive end. Through its first 11 games of the 2019-20 season, NC State is outscoring its opponents 360-192 (+168) in the category.
The Pack has been bested in that category on just two occasions this season. In the nine games in which NC State has won the points in the paint battle, the Pack averages 20.2 points more in the category than its opponents.
REGULARLY EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS
NC State has exceeded ACC coaches' preseason expectations in five of the last six seasons.
2013-14: predicted 10th, finished 4th
2014-15: predicted 9th, finished tied for 9th
2015-16: predicted 9th, finished tied for 6th
2016-17: predicted 7th, finished tied for 4th
2017-18: predicted 10th, finished tied for 4th
2018-19: predicted 4th, finished 3rd
Under the direction of Coach Moore, the Wolfpack has compiled a .656 conference winning percentage with a 63-33 clip in league play.
#GoPack | @PackWomensBball
