Sunday, March 21
San Antonio, Texas
4 PM
NC State
vs
North Carolina A&T
No. 1 Seed Wolfpack Begins 2021 NCAA Tournament Action Sunday
3/20/2021 10:13:00 AM | Women's Basketball
NC State set to take on North Carolina A&T at 4 p.m. EST on ESPN
GAME NOTES | LIVE STATS | ESPN
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The third-ranked and one-seeded NC State women's basketball team (20-2) begins its 2021 NCAA Tournament journey on Sunday afternoon as it takes on 16th-seeded North Carolina A&T (14-2) in the first round. Tip-off between the Wolfpack and the Aggies is scheduled for 4 p.m. EST (3 p.m. local) from Strahan Arena on the campus of Texas State.
The game will be televised nationally on ESPN, with Pam Ward and LaChina Robinson on the call. Patrick Kinas will also have the call on WKNC 88.1 FM in Raleigh.
A WIN ON SUNDAY WOULD...
• Mark NC State's fourth NCAA Tournament first-round win in a row
• Be the Pack's 25th NCAA Tournament win of all time (24-25)
• Be the 965th win in program history (964-473)
• Be head coach Wes Moore's 747th career win (746-233)
• Be Moore's 189th win at NC State (188-64)
• Maintain the Wolfpack's perfect all-time record over North Carolina A&T (9-0)
GOING DANCING!
• 2021 marks NC State's 26th overall NCAA Tournament appearance in program history and its fifth under the leadership of head coach Wes Moore.
• For the first time in its 26 NCAA Tournament berths, the Pack earned the No. 1 seed for the upcoming postseason event. NC State had previously been the No. 2 seed three times in a row in 1989, 1990 and 1991.
• The Wolfpack has been selected to compete in the NCAA Tournament four seasons in a row. That is the longest such streak for the team since it also went to four straight from 2004 to 2007.
• NC State has advanced out of the first round in each of its last three NCAA Tournament appearances. The last time the Pack put together such a streak was in 1989, 1990 and 1991.
• The Pack concluded the 2018-19 season in the Sweet 16, making its second consecutive appearance in that round for the third time in program history and the first time since 1990 and 1991. The 1989, 1990 and 1991 seasons mark the first and only time that NC State has reached the Sweet 16 in three NCAA Tournaments in a row.
BACK 2 BACK
The Wolfpack was an automatic qualifier for the 2021 NCAA Tournament after punching its ticket with a victory in the ACC Tournament title game. The 58-56 win over top-seeded Louisville gave NC State its first set of back-to-back ACC Tournament titles and was the sixth conference tournament win in program history.
Raina Perez hit the game-winning jumper with 2.1 seconds remaining to seal the win. NC State trailed by as many as eight points in the fourth quarter, but the Pack held Louisville to just two points in the final five minutes.
Elissa Cunane scored a game-high 20 points and added nine rebounds. Nine of her 20 points were scored in a key fourth quarter.
NOTING THE WOLFPACK (20-2)
• Ranked No. 3 in the Associated Press Top 25 for the third week in a row and been ranked in the national top five since Dec. 7
• No. 5 nationally in defensive rebounds per game (31.3)
• No. 13 in scoring margin (+15.8)
• No. 15 in field-goal percentage (.466)
• No. 19 in scoring offense (77.3)
• No. 21 in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.24)
• No. 23 in rebound margin (+7.6)
• Four members of the squad with scoring averages in double digits - Cunane (16.8), Jakia Brown-Turner (13.6), Kayla Jones (12.3) and Jada Boyd (10.4)
• Perez owns an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.92, which ranks eighth in the nation this season; also 43rd nationally in assists per game with an average of 4.9
• Held five of its opponents to under 30 percent shooting and 15 opponents to under 40 percent
• Averaging 37.9 points in the paint and also a threat from distance with an average of 7.0 made three pointers per contest
• Outscored in the paint just twice and beating out its opponents in that category by an average margin of +11.9
• Put together three-point shooting percentages of 40 percent or better in eight outings, including two games with 50+ percent marks
SERIES HISTORY WITH THE AGGIES (NC State leads 9-0)
• Sunday marks the 10th overall meeting between NC State and North Carolina A&T. It is the first time that the teams have met in the NCAA Tournament.
• The Wolfpack is a perfect 9-0 in its previous matchups with the Aggies.
• NC State has beat North Carolina A&T by as many as 47 points (76-29 home win in December 2004), and its narrowest margin of victory over the Aggies is one point (92-91 overtime road win in December 1993).
• The Pack has outscored the Aggies by an average margin of +26 in those previous nine meetings.
• NC State and North Carolina A&T last met during the non-conference portion of the 2019-20 schedule. The squads faced off on November 6, 2019 for the Pack's season opener, and NC State went on to claim the 80-44 home victory in that game.
CAN'T STOP CUNANE
• Cunane finished third in the ACC in field-goal percentage (.547) last season, and she is shooting nearly 60 percent (.570) from the floor this season to rank 16th in the nation. She has shot 50+ percent from the floor in a total of 13 outings, including two perfect shooting nights (6-of-6 against NC Central and 9-of-9 against Boston College, both at home).
• Through 20 games played, Cunane averages 11.3 points in the paint. The rest of her 16.8 scoring average shows her ability to convert on free throws and step out and knock down the three on occasion.
• Cunane has scored in double figures in all but one game (the Pack's dominant win against Coastal Carolina where she was only needed for 13 minutes of game action). She also has six 20+ point outings and a team-leading five double-doubles this season.
SENIOR CLASS
The four-year members of NC State's senior class - Kai Crutchfield and Kayla Jones - have helped the Wolfpack go 102-21 (.829) overall, 57-7 (.891) at home and 49-15 (.766) in conference play in four seasons. The class needs three victories to tie for the most by a four-year group in program history (105) and four to set a new record.
WOLFPACK WES
In a vote of his peers and fellow ACC head coaches, Wes Moore was named ACC Coach of the Year after leading his team to a 17-2 regular-season record and a 12-2 mark against league opponents. He was previously named unanimous ACC Coach of the Year at the conclusion of the 2016-17 season, which marked the first time that the honor had been claimed by an NC State head coach.
Moore is also one of four finalists for the 2021 Naismith Women's Coach of the Year award. His 746 career wins rank eighth among active NCAA Division I women's basketball head coaches.
#GoPack | @PackWomensBball
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The third-ranked and one-seeded NC State women's basketball team (20-2) begins its 2021 NCAA Tournament journey on Sunday afternoon as it takes on 16th-seeded North Carolina A&T (14-2) in the first round. Tip-off between the Wolfpack and the Aggies is scheduled for 4 p.m. EST (3 p.m. local) from Strahan Arena on the campus of Texas State.
The game will be televised nationally on ESPN, with Pam Ward and LaChina Robinson on the call. Patrick Kinas will also have the call on WKNC 88.1 FM in Raleigh.
A WIN ON SUNDAY WOULD...
• Mark NC State's fourth NCAA Tournament first-round win in a row
• Be the Pack's 25th NCAA Tournament win of all time (24-25)
• Be the 965th win in program history (964-473)
• Be head coach Wes Moore's 747th career win (746-233)
• Be Moore's 189th win at NC State (188-64)
• Maintain the Wolfpack's perfect all-time record over North Carolina A&T (9-0)
GOING DANCING!
• 2021 marks NC State's 26th overall NCAA Tournament appearance in program history and its fifth under the leadership of head coach Wes Moore.
• For the first time in its 26 NCAA Tournament berths, the Pack earned the No. 1 seed for the upcoming postseason event. NC State had previously been the No. 2 seed three times in a row in 1989, 1990 and 1991.
• The Wolfpack has been selected to compete in the NCAA Tournament four seasons in a row. That is the longest such streak for the team since it also went to four straight from 2004 to 2007.
• NC State has advanced out of the first round in each of its last three NCAA Tournament appearances. The last time the Pack put together such a streak was in 1989, 1990 and 1991.
• The Pack concluded the 2018-19 season in the Sweet 16, making its second consecutive appearance in that round for the third time in program history and the first time since 1990 and 1991. The 1989, 1990 and 1991 seasons mark the first and only time that NC State has reached the Sweet 16 in three NCAA Tournaments in a row.
BACK 2 BACK
The Wolfpack was an automatic qualifier for the 2021 NCAA Tournament after punching its ticket with a victory in the ACC Tournament title game. The 58-56 win over top-seeded Louisville gave NC State its first set of back-to-back ACC Tournament titles and was the sixth conference tournament win in program history.
Raina Perez hit the game-winning jumper with 2.1 seconds remaining to seal the win. NC State trailed by as many as eight points in the fourth quarter, but the Pack held Louisville to just two points in the final five minutes.
Elissa Cunane scored a game-high 20 points and added nine rebounds. Nine of her 20 points were scored in a key fourth quarter.
NOTING THE WOLFPACK (20-2)
• Ranked No. 3 in the Associated Press Top 25 for the third week in a row and been ranked in the national top five since Dec. 7
• No. 5 nationally in defensive rebounds per game (31.3)
• No. 13 in scoring margin (+15.8)
• No. 15 in field-goal percentage (.466)
• No. 19 in scoring offense (77.3)
• No. 21 in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.24)
• No. 23 in rebound margin (+7.6)
• Four members of the squad with scoring averages in double digits - Cunane (16.8), Jakia Brown-Turner (13.6), Kayla Jones (12.3) and Jada Boyd (10.4)
• Perez owns an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.92, which ranks eighth in the nation this season; also 43rd nationally in assists per game with an average of 4.9
• Held five of its opponents to under 30 percent shooting and 15 opponents to under 40 percent
• Averaging 37.9 points in the paint and also a threat from distance with an average of 7.0 made three pointers per contest
• Outscored in the paint just twice and beating out its opponents in that category by an average margin of +11.9
• Put together three-point shooting percentages of 40 percent or better in eight outings, including two games with 50+ percent marks
SERIES HISTORY WITH THE AGGIES (NC State leads 9-0)
• Sunday marks the 10th overall meeting between NC State and North Carolina A&T. It is the first time that the teams have met in the NCAA Tournament.
• The Wolfpack is a perfect 9-0 in its previous matchups with the Aggies.
• NC State has beat North Carolina A&T by as many as 47 points (76-29 home win in December 2004), and its narrowest margin of victory over the Aggies is one point (92-91 overtime road win in December 1993).
• The Pack has outscored the Aggies by an average margin of +26 in those previous nine meetings.
• NC State and North Carolina A&T last met during the non-conference portion of the 2019-20 schedule. The squads faced off on November 6, 2019 for the Pack's season opener, and NC State went on to claim the 80-44 home victory in that game.
CAN'T STOP CUNANE
• Cunane finished third in the ACC in field-goal percentage (.547) last season, and she is shooting nearly 60 percent (.570) from the floor this season to rank 16th in the nation. She has shot 50+ percent from the floor in a total of 13 outings, including two perfect shooting nights (6-of-6 against NC Central and 9-of-9 against Boston College, both at home).
• Through 20 games played, Cunane averages 11.3 points in the paint. The rest of her 16.8 scoring average shows her ability to convert on free throws and step out and knock down the three on occasion.
• Cunane has scored in double figures in all but one game (the Pack's dominant win against Coastal Carolina where she was only needed for 13 minutes of game action). She also has six 20+ point outings and a team-leading five double-doubles this season.
SENIOR CLASS
The four-year members of NC State's senior class - Kai Crutchfield and Kayla Jones - have helped the Wolfpack go 102-21 (.829) overall, 57-7 (.891) at home and 49-15 (.766) in conference play in four seasons. The class needs three victories to tie for the most by a four-year group in program history (105) and four to set a new record.
WOLFPACK WES
In a vote of his peers and fellow ACC head coaches, Wes Moore was named ACC Coach of the Year after leading his team to a 17-2 regular-season record and a 12-2 mark against league opponents. He was previously named unanimous ACC Coach of the Year at the conclusion of the 2016-17 season, which marked the first time that the honor had been claimed by an NC State head coach.
Moore is also one of four finalists for the 2021 Naismith Women's Coach of the Year award. His 746 career wins rank eighth among active NCAA Division I women's basketball head coaches.
#GoPack | @PackWomensBball
Players Mentioned
Wing
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Center
/ Women's Basketball
Forward
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
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