No. 2 Seed NC State Set to Host 15-Seed Vermont in NCAA Tournament Round of 64

NC State Game Notes | Vermont Game Notes | Media Media Central

RALEIGH – The No. 9/9, 2-seed NC State women's basketball team is set to take part in its 30th NCAA Tournament appearance, as the Pack hosts 15-seed Vermont in the NCAA Tournament First Round. The Pack makes its eighth straight NCAA Tournament appearance, the best streak in school history, and will serve as a top 16 team for the fifth time in the last six tournaments. NC State and Vermont will tipoff at 2 p.m. on Saturday and the game will be aired on ESPN. The following game between 7-seed Michigan State and 10-seed Harvard will tipoff at 4:30 p.m. on ESPNEWS. The winner of both games will face off on Monday for a chance to punch a ticket to Spokane, Washington for the Sweet 16.

ABOUT NC STATE

The Wolfpack is a No. 2 seed, hosting for the 13th time in program history, fifth time in the Wes Moore era
The Pack is coming off its 19th ACC Championship game appearance after defeating No. 9 seeded Georgia Tech and No. 5 seeded North Carolina, 66-55. NC State fell to No. 3 seeded Duke, 76-62, in the title game
NC State finished 16-2 in the ACC to share the regular season title with Notre Dame. The Pack earned the No. 1 seed in the ACC Tournament for the seventh time in school history after winning the head-to-head with the Irish
The Pack is No. 9 in the AP and WBCA Coaches polls. NC State is in the top 10 for the fifth time this season and 220th week in program history
Five of the Pack's six losses have come to AP Top 15 teams: South Carolina (2), TCU (6), Duke (7), LSU (10) and UNC (12)
NC State has won 22 of the last 25 games with a total of six ranked wins after starting the season 4-3
NC State finished the regular season undefeated at home with a 16-0 mark. This marked the third time in program history the Pack has finished the regular season undefeated at home, the second time in the Wes Moore era
The Pack has also won 21 straight home games (stretching back from last season), tied for the fifth longest active streak in the country
NC State is No. 16 in the NET and has an average opponent NET opponent ranking at No. 65, which is third in the country (trailing South Carolina- 58 and Duke - 63), as well as the 12th toughest strength of schedule in the country
NC State is one of eight schools in the country to have picked up at least eight Quad 1 NET wins. The Pack is one of 10 schools to have at least 17 top 100 wins, tied for the second most in the country
The Pack has four players who average double digits in scoring and has six who average 6.7 points per game or more
Aziaha James leads NC State with 17.9 points per game, which is No. 6 in the ACC with 68 made 3-pointers
James is also No. 17 on the all-time scoring list (1,536), 19th 1,500-point scorer in school history and No. 7 on the all-time 3-pointers made list (176) at NC State
Madison Hayes paces the Pack with 7.1 rebounds per game
Saniya Rivers leads the Pack in steals per game (1.6) and blocks per game (1.3)
Zoe Brooks has a team-leading 3.7 assists per game
Tilda Trygger is logging a 52.5 field goal percentage (85-162), which is the best among players with 100+ attempts, and has a team's most 66 offensive boards
The Pack leads the ACC and is third in the country in least fouls per game (12.3). NC State is second in the ACC in defensive rebounds per game (29.6), which is eighth in the country, as well as turnovers per game (11.9) and rebounds per game (41.3), which are 11th and 18th in the country. NC State is also third in assist/turnover ratio (1.16) and field goal percentage defense (38.6)

NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY

The Wolfpack is playing in its 30th NCAA Tournament appearance
This marks the first time NC State will play against a 15-seed
This year marks the fifth time in the Wes Moore era NC State is a top 16 seed and has the opportunity to host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament (would host if the 2021 tournament was not in the bubble)
The Pack has played 21 of its NCAA Tournament games in Raleigh throughout program history and is 19-2 in those games. NC State has not lost an NCAA Tournament game in its home city since 1983 (18-game streak)
This year marks the eighth straight for NC State and ninth in the Moore era
NC State is 12-8 in first round games, 16-5 in second round games, 3-13 in Sweet 16 games, 2-1 in Elite Eights and 0-2 in Final Fours
Under Coach Moore the Pack has made five Sweet 16 appearances, two Elite Eights and is coming off the program's first Final Four since 1998 last season in 2024

ACC-OLADES

All-ACC First Team: Aziaha James, Saniya Rivers and Zoe Brooks
All-ACC Defensive Team: Saniya Rivers
ACC All-Freshman Team: Tilda Trygger
ACC Most Improved Player: Zoe Brooks
ACC Coach of the Year: Wes Moore

SCOUTING VERMONT

Vermont is 21-12 and finished with a 13-3 America East record to round out the regular season second in the conference
As the No. 2 seed in the America East Playoffs, the Catamounts defeated No. 7-seeded UMBC, 70-39, No. 2-seeded Bryant, 62-45 and top-seeded UAlbany, 62-55, for the America East Tournament Championship
Bella Vito was named the America East Defensive Player of the Year. She leads the Catamounts with 68 steals and 5.7 rebounds per game, while averaging 7.9 points per game
The Catamounts saw four players earn All-Conference honors: Vito (All-Defensive Team), Anna Olsen (All-Conference First Team), Catherine Gilwee (All-Conference Second Team) and Nikola Priede (All-Conference Second Team)
Olson leads Vermont with 12.8 points per game
Gilwee paces the team with 128 total assists and averages 8.0 points per game
Priede averages 9.1 points per game with a team's most 35 blocks and Keira Hanson has a team's best 43.5 3-point percentage (57-131)

SERIES HISTORY (NC STATE TRAILS 1-0)

The Pack and Catamounts will play for just the second time in the all-time series, first as NCAA Tournament opponents
In the lone meeting, NC State fell 52-47 at home on Nov. 14, 2009

LAST TIME OUT

The Pack fell to three-seed, No. 11/11 Duke in the ACC Championship game, 76-62
NC State led by as many as 14 and led by seven at the half to the Blue Devils, but was outscored 47-26 in the second half
James recorded a team-high 18 points with two assists
Brooks registered 17 points and two steals
Rivers logged 16 points, five rebounds, four assists and one block
Trygger had a team's most seven rebounds

UPCOMING
The winner of NC State vs. Vermont will play the winner of Michigan State vs. Harvard on Monday, March 24. Tipoff time and network designations are both TBA.

No. 2 Seed NC State Set to Host 15-Seed Vermont in NCAA Tournament Round of 64

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Zoe Brooks

Madison Hayes

Aziaha James

Saniya Rivers

Tilda Trygger

No. 2 Seed NC State Set to Host 15-Seed Vermont in NCAA Tournament Round of 64

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Zoe Brooks

Madison Hayes

Aziaha James

Saniya Rivers

Tilda Trygger

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