Pack Ready for Top 10 Matchup vs. LSU at Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship - NC State University Athletics (2024)

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS – The No. 20/17NC State women's basketball team is primed for another top 10 matchup, this time vs. No. 7/7 LSU in quest for the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship. NC State and LSU will tipoff at 1:30 p.m. at Baha Mar Convention Center on FloCollege. Wes Moore and Kim Mulkey will face off for the third time in their careers, first time at their current schools.

SCOUTING NC STATE

The Pack defeated Southern in the first game of the Baha Mar Pink Flamingo Championship, 77-47. NC State exploded in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Jaguars 32-9 in the final frame
NC State is No. 20 in the AP Poll and No. 18 in the WBCA Coaches Poll. The Pack's two losses are to the No. 4 (South Carolina) and No. 17 (TCU) teams in the country in the AP Poll
The Pack has six players who average 6.4 points or more per game
Through five games, the Pack is led by Aziaha James' 18.3 points per game
With 15 consecutive double-digit scoring games (stretching from last season), James now has 1,072 career points (surpassing 1K vs. Kent State on 11/14), which is tied for the 31st most in school history
Saniya Rivers leads the Pack in blocks per game (1.3) and steals per game (1.5), and Zoe Brooks leads the squad with 3.0 assists per game
The Pack leads the ACC and the country in least fouls per game (10.7), and sits in the top five in the league with least turnovers per game (3rd- 12.2) and defensive rebounds per game (4th - 29.0). Its 12.2 turnovers per game is ranked 14th in the country
NC State is playing for its 37th regular season tournament title at the Baha Mar Flamingo Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship. The Pack is set up to play No. 7/7 LSU in the Championship game
The team is playing its second top 10 game of the season

SCOUTING LSU

LSU was picked to finish third in both the media and coaches Preseason SEC polls
The Tigers finished 31-6 and an Elite 8 appearance before losing to No. 1 seed Iowa, 94-87 last season
Flau'Jae Johnson and Aneesah Morrow were in a three-way tie for Co-Preseason Player of the Year by the media and were both chosen on the Preseason First Team by both polls. Johnson averaged 14.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per game with 89 assists and 76 steals. Morrow logged 16.4 points and 10.0 rebounds per game with 93 steals and 42 blocks last season
Mikaylah Williams was picked on the Preseason Second Team by the coaches and media. She is coming off being named SEC Freshman of the Year with 14.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per game with 98 dimes
This season, Johnson leads the team with 23.3 points per game and is tied with Shayeann Day-Wilson with 24 assists
Morrow tallies 18.1 points and a team-leading 13.0 rebounds per game, while Kailyn Gilbert has a team's most 15 steals and Sa'Myah Smith has a team-leading 11 blocks

SERIES HISTORY (NC STATE TRAILS 1-2)

NC State and LSU will face off for the fourth time in the all-time series, which dates back to 2012
This game will mark the second time the teams have faced off on a neutral floor
In the last meeting on Nov. 26, 2016, in the U.S. Virgin Islands, NC State fell, 59-58
NC State's lone win in the series was in 2013, resulting in an 89-79 win at home
In wins vs. LSU, the Pack win by an average of 10.0 points (just one game) and lose by an average of 4.5 points per game (across two games)

LAST TIME OUT

NC State defeated Southern by its largest margin of victory this season (30) with a 77-47 win in game one of the Baha Mar Pink Flamingo Championship
The game was tight in the first three quarters with 12 lead changes and nine ties, but the Pack outscored Southern 32-9 in the fourth quarter to build a lead as many as 34 late in the game
NC State won the advantage in points off turnovers (21-4), points in the paint (36-16), second chance points (9-0), fast breaks (6-0) and bench points (30-10)
Three Pack players scored in double digits, led by Brooks' 17 points off 5-of-10 shooting, 7-of-9 from the free throw line with three rebounds and three assists
Zamareya Jones registered 13 points with three 3-pointers, five rebounds and a team-high five assists in 26 minutes off the bench
James logged 12 points and three rebounds in just 23 minutes
Madison Hayes and Rivers tied for a team-high seven rebounds
Lorena Awou registered six points off the bench

UPCOMING
NC State will host Ole Miss on Thursday, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. for the SEC/ACC Challenge. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2.