N.C. State is badly in need of a signature women’s basketball victory to help its chances of playing in the post-season.
- File photo by Arianna Hoffman
- NCSU’s Bonae Holston (L) and UNC’s Chay Shegog may duel in the paint again tonight.
And UNC needs to get headed in the right direction and could use a win in its quest for a bye in the first round of the ACC Tournament.
That will be the situation when the two old rivals clash tonight at 7 at Reynolds Coliseum in a game to be shown live on regional cable TV.
Sylvia Hatchell’s No. 13 Tar Heels (22-4, 8-3) will be clear favorites in the contest. But they have never, ever just been able to phone it in against the Wolfpack (12-5, 2-9), which will undoubtedly have a big partisan crowd in the house to help out.
The Wolfpack leads the series 50-41, falling in this season’s earlier meeting 83-76 on Jan. 14 in Chapel Hill despite 30 points from Marissa Kastanek.
State is coming off an 81-65 win at Virginia Tech on Thursday night that broke the Wolfpack’s eight-game losing streak in the ACC.
The Tar Heels haven’t played since a 78-66 home-court loss to Miami eight days ago.
The night is also scheduled to be a “green” event, a first for NCSU athletics. Beverage and food containers sold at the event will be either recyclable or compostible.
No. 13 UNC vs. N.C. State
[Monday, 7 p.m., Reynolds Coliseum]
Audio: WCHL 1360, WKNC-FM 88.1.
Video: FS Carolinas.
Records: UNC 22-4, 8-3 ACC; NCSU 12-15, 2-9.
Coaches’ records — UNC: Sylvia Hatchell 853-298, 581-218 at UNC; NCSU: Kellie Harper 126-94, 31-29 at NCSU.
Leading scorers — UNC: Italee Lucas 16.6; NCSU: Bonae Holston 15.9.
Leading rebounders — UNC: Laura Broomfield 8.1; NCSU: Bonae Holston 8.2.
Assist leaders — UNC: Cetera DeGraffenreid 5.2; NCSU: Amber White 3.5.
