Opponent Preview: What to know about No. 6 NC State

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Syracuse lost its third game of the season and its first in league play last Thursday at Louisville.

After jumping out to a 5-0 start with buckets from Dariauna Lewis and Alaina Rice, the Orange trailed the rest of the way. Despite cutting the deficit to just two at one point late in the second quarter, the Cardinals pulled away in the second half to win 86-77.

A big reason why SU kept the contest close early on was Teisha Hyman’s offensive brilliance. Hyman’s ability to knock down mid-range jumpers whether in space or contested saw her finish with a season-high 27 points.

However, Hailey Van Lith’s 24 point performance, together with 15 apiece from Morgan Jones and Olivia Cochrann, played a big part in a third quarter where the Cardinals outscored the Orange 27-19.

After halftime, Van Lith and Nyla Harris converted on inside shots before Syracuse transfer Chrislyn Carr hit a three-pointer from the right wing to close out a 7-point, unanswered scoring run for Louisville. SU were unable to recover after that.

Returning home to face No. 6 NC State next, Syracuse has a chance to maintain its unbeaten record at the JMA Wireless Dome this season.

Here’s everything you need to know about NC State (11-2, 1-1 ACC):

All time series

NC State leads 10-4

Last time they played

During the 2021-22 campaign, then-No. 4 NC State trounced Syracuse in Raleigh 95-53.

The Wolfpack started off hot in the first quarter, shooting 54.55% from the field and pouring in 28 points. Arguably, the more impressive feat was their ability to hold Syracuse to just nine points after 10 minutes.

Although the Orange rebounded to put together a more complete game in the ensuing three periods, NC State was already out of reach. Despite the loss, SU totaled four double-digit scorers and was led by a team-high 14 points from now-Louisville guard, Chrislyn Carr. Hyman and Najé Murray chipped in with 12 each and Christianna Carr produced 11. Despite finishing the game shooting an abysmal 27.5%, Syracuse was perfect from the charity stripe.

Kayla Jones led the way for NC State tallying 18 points — a game-high. Jakia Brown-Turner added 14 along with Elissa Cunane. The main difference maker for the Wolfpack was their presence inside. While Syracuse recorded just 16 points in the paint, NC State finished with a whopping 62. NCSU’s bench scoring, led by forward Jada Boyce, had 35 points compared to SU’s measly two.

The win was NC State’s 16th in ACC play and its 25th of the season.

The Wolfpack report

NC State is ranked No. 6 in the nation for a reason, with much of that reason being junior guard Diamond Johnson. However, after picking up an ankle injury in a win over Southern Florida in mid-December, Johnson has yet to see the court since.

If Johnson plays, Syracuse will have to find a way to stop her crafty playmaking and focus on limiting her under her double-digit scoring average. If Johnson continues to nurse her foot, the Wolfpack will be without a true point-guard presence for the fourth game running.

In Johnson’s absence, Boyd and Jakia Brown-Turner have been the go-to-players for NCSU. Appearing in nine games so far this season, Boyd averages 10.3 points per game, most of which comes inside the point. The 6-foot-2 senior also shoots an impressive 95% from the free-throw line this season. After Johnson went down against the Bulls, Brown-Turner slotted in as NC State’s primary ball-handler. The lefty averages 10.6 points per game.

As a team, the Wolfpack run an efficient offense and ranks 20th out of 361 teams in field-goal percentage, hitting 47% of its shots from the floor per Her Hoop Stats. NCSU seeks to score inside but are also capable of hitting from beyond the arc.

On the boards, Saniya Rivers and Mimi Collins average nearly five rebounds a game as a part of an NC State squad that ranks 20th out of 361 teams in total rebounds per game according to Her Hoop Stats.

The Wolfpack are a confident team that started their season off with a 59-point victory. However, coming off of a 14-point loss to unranked Duke last time out, and without Johnson as its floor general, NC State is a beatable opponent.

How Syracuse beats NC State

The No. 6 ranked team in the nation has size in both the frontcourt and the backcourt and is equipped with a veteran roster. Syracuse will have to play a near-perfect game to take down NC State.

Finishing with 13 points in SU’s defeat to Louisville, Dyaisha Fair will have to do more. The Wolfpack’s defensive concentration will be centered on Fair, who went scoreless in the first quarter against the Cardinals. So far this season, there have been many games where Fair has seemingly waited until the latter stages of the game before revving up into a different gear. This time around she’ll have to find her stride from the jump.

Coming off of a 27-point performance, Hyman will also receive special treatment from the NC State defense. If Hyman can maintain her consistency from the mid-range, which showcases a high release point, her streaky shooting could place Syracuse back into the win column.

To win this game, Syracuse can expect large amounts of scoring from both Hyman and Fair but will need contributions on both sides of the floor from players like Lewis, Rice and Asia Strong. In addition, if Georgia Woolley can get going from three-point land and defensive anchor Cheyenne McEvans can pressure the NC State ball handlers through 40 minutes, the Orange have a good chance of remaining perfect at home.

Stat to know: 39.9%

While NC State does total most of its points within the perimeter, it wouldn’t hurt the Wolfpack to shoot more from beyond the arc. So far this season, NCSU is shooting 39.9% from the perimeter, good enough to be ranked sixth in the country per Her Hoop Stats.

Although NC State is without its most accurate three-point shooter in Johnson, expect Brown-Turner and guard Madison Hayes to be the Wolfpack’s most high-volume shooters. Brown-Turner shoots a respectable 35.7% from range while Hayes has shot at a 39% clip.

Player to watch: Jakia Brown-Turner, Guard, No. 11

Against USF, Brown-Turner put on a 13 point display while shooting 41.7% from the field to lead NC State in scoring after Johnson was helped off the court midway through the second quarter due to an ankle injury.

One of the Wolfpack’s key players this season, Brown-Turner is a workhorse who does a little bit of everything. She appears at the most crucial moments, leading with a veteran presence.

Toward the end of the first quarter of NC State’s matchup with Duke, Brown-Turner dribbled up the court and launched a half-court prayer with 2.2 seconds remaining. Her prayer banked in to put the Wolfpack up by three going into the second period. It wasn’t Brown-Turners’ basket that was impressive, but rather it was her awareness and clock-management.