Opponent Preview: Everything to know ahead of No. 12 NC State

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After five straight wins, Syracuse seemed to be hitting its stride down the final stretch of the regular season. But the Orange put in its worst offensive performance of the season against Duke in a 58-45 loss.

What followed was a close win versus Pittsburgh, which ranks last in the Atlantic Coast Conference. SU trailed by eight heading into the fourth quarter, but Dyaisha Fair took over, scoring 15 of her team-high 23 points in the fourth quarter — where the Orange outscored Pitt 22-4.

The win over Pittsburgh tied a Syracuse program record for regular season wins. The only team standing in its way of breaking that record is North Carolina State, a known powerhouse in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Wolfpack have won the conference regular season title on four separate occasions, including in 2021-22.

Here’s everything to know about No. 12 NC State (23-5, 11-5 ACC) before it takes on No. 19 Syracuse (23-5, 13-4 ACC):

All-time series

NC State leads 11-4.

The last time they played…

Syracuse suffered its worst loss of 2022-23 as NC State defeated the Orange 83-58 in the second round of the ACC tournament. SU entered the game on the bubble of the NCAA tournament and needed a win to have a shot at possibly making the 68-team field. What ensued was a disastrous performance in a must-win scenario.

Fair scored just 11 points — her second-lowest total of the season — on 4-for-17 shooting. Teisha Heyman, Georgia Woolley and Dariuana Lewis all finished in double figures, which kept Syracuse in the game throughout the first half.

The Wolfpack Report

For the first time all season, NC State is coming off back-to-back losses after it fell to North Carolina and Duke. Over the last two games, the Wolfpack combined to shoot 34.3% from the field, including a season-low 58-point effort against the Blue Devils. They fell 17.4 points short of their season average of 75.4, which is the 34th-best mark in the country, according to HerHoopStats.

But what sets NC State apart is its lockdown defense. Per HerHoopStats, the Wolfpack hold their opponents to the 14th-lowest shooting total in the country (36.1%). NC State limits its opponents to 60.8 points per game, the fourth-best mark in the ACC. Though, the Wolfpack don’t play an aggressive brand of defense, ranking outside of the top 200 in Division I with 6.9 steals per game.

How Syracuse beats NC State

The Orange have the chance to make one final statement in the regular season after showing they can compete with the top dogs in the ACC. But they have to play their game, or else the Wolfpack could run away in the contest.

Not to beat a dead horse, but Syracuse has to start strong against NC State. It can’t afford to fall behind by 17 in the first half like it did against Duke. While the Orange have shown they can come back this season, doing it on the road will be a tall task. If SU can keep the score close heading into the fourth quarter, it can let Fair do what she does best — take over games.

Stat to know: 31.7 defensive rebounds per game

NC State averages 31.7 defensive rebounds per game, which ranks first in the country. The Wolfpack’s strong presence on the glass means it’s going to be a battle on the boards against SU. The Orange average 16.1 offensive rebounds per game, which is the most in the ACC and fourth most in the country, according to HerHoopStats.

Player to watch: Aziaha James, guard, No. 10

James has slowly become the No. 1 option for NC State after two seasons of being a role player. James made the ACC All-Freshman Team in 2021-22 and then averaged 6.8 points per game in 2022-23. But this year, James has taken her game to a different level, leading NC State with 16 points per game.

Over James’ first two seasons, she finished in double figures just 10 times. This year, she’s done it 22 times, highlighted by her career-high 33 points on Jan. 21 against Duke. In games where James scores at least 20 points, NC State is 5-2.