Carolina Hosts Undefeated NC State Thursday

Thursday, January 9

Chapel Hill, N.C.

7 PM

North Carolina

NC State

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Lexi Duckett, Liz Roberts, Naomi Van Nes, Olivia Smith, Emily Sullivan
University of North Carolina Women's Basketball v Yale
Carmichael Arena
Chapel Hill, NC
Saturday, December 28, 2019

January 8, 2020 | Women's Basketball

Game Notes

By: UNC Athletic Communications

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – After kicking off 2020 with a pair of ACC road games, the UNC women's basketball team returns to Carmichael Arena for its first home game of the new year, hosting undefeated NC State on Thursday at 7 p.m. The Wolfpack comes into the game ranked ninth in this week's Associated Press poll.

The Tar Heels are 11-3, 2-1 in ACC play. NC State is 14-0 (3-0).

As part of the game's "Blue Out" theme, the first 400 students to enter will get free Carolina blue t-shirts. Blue rally towels will go to the first 450 fans. For tickets, click here. Admission is free to students and staff with a One Card.

It's the 110th meeting in a series that dates back to the 1974-75 season, the Tar Heels' first as a varsity program under the umbrella of the UNC Department of Athletics. NC State leads the series with UNC 58-51. The Tar Heels won eight in a row from 2011-12 to 2014-15, but since then the Wolfpack has taken seven of the nine matchups.

The teams split last year's meetings, with each winning on the other's home floor. The Tar Heels won 64-51 in Raleigh on Feb. 3, then the Wolfpack won 74-69 in Chapel Hill on Feb. 24.

Tar Heels By the Numbers
• All five UNC starters are averaging in double figures, led by Janelle Bailey with 14.7 points per game
• UNC leads the ACC in assist/turnover ratio (1.30). The Tar Heels rank second in turnover margin (+3.5) and are third in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage defense.
• UNC is the only school in the conference that doesn't rank in double digits in a single statistical category.
• Freshman Malu Tshitenge leads the league in offensive rebounding (4.86 per game) and senior Shayla Bennett ranks second in assist/turnover ratio (2.28).
• Three Tar Heels are among the top 10 in free throw percentage: 5. Bennett (.795); 8. Bailey (.765); 10. Madinah Muhammad (.736).

Scouting the Wolfpack
NC State is 14-0 overall (3-0 ACC) following an 80-60 homecourt victory over Virginia on Sunday.
• The team is led in scoring by sophomore center Elissa Cunane, who was named national player of the week after averaging 27 points and 9.5 rebounds last week. On the season she's averaging 17.5 points per game and is one of three Wolfpack players scoring in double figures, along with Aislinn Konig (10.3 ppg) and Kai Crutchfield (10.1 ppg).
• As a team, NC State leads the ACC in scoring margin (21.0) and field goal percentage defense (opponents shooting .331) and ranks second in defense (opponents averaging 53.9 ppg) and rebounding (45.1 per game).