Syracuse women’s basketball vs. No. 2 NC State: TV/streaming, time, history & more

Teams: Syracuse Orange (12-6, 9-6 ACC) vs. No. 2 North Carolina State (16-2, 11-2 ACC)

Day & Time: Sunday, February 28 at 12 p.m. EST

Location: Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.

TV/Streaming: ACC Network

Radio: Cuse.com

Opponent Blog: Backing The Pack

Current Streak: Syracuse: W1 | NC State: W4

All-Time Series: NC State leads the series 7-4

Teams Last Meeting: The then-ranked No. 8 Wolfpack defeated the Orange 69-60 on Feb. 27, 2020. Kiara Lewis led all scorers with 20 points.

Orange Storylines:

• Sunday will be a special day in the Carrier Dome: Prior to tip, Syracuse Athletics will recognize seniors Maeva Djaldi-Tabdi and Amaya Finklea-Guity. Kiara Lewis, Tiana Mangakahia, and Digna Strautmane have previously celebrated Senior Day. In addition to it being Mangakahia’s last college game, Sunday will also celebrate the Play4Kay breast cancer awareness game. Mangakahia missed the 2019-20 season after being diagnosed with Stage 2 Grade 3 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma.
• The Orange are undefeated at home (8-0).
• Fan voting is now live for the Basketball Hall of Fame Awards. Vote Mangakahia for the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year and Kamilla Cardoso for the Lisa Leslie Center of the Year.
• Cardoso was named the #Accoladies ‘ACC Freshman of the Year’ by the All-ACC show broadcasters on ACC Network.
• ‘Cuse stands in fourth place in the conference standings and is projected as an eighth seed in ESPN’s Bracketology by Charlie Creme.
• Freshman Kamilla Cardoso leads the team with 14.9 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. Kiara Lewis stands just behind Cardoso in scoring, averaging 13.7 points per contest. Emily Engstler is making a name for herself as ACC Sixth Player of the Year, averaging a near double-double this season with 9.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per contest off the bench. Tiana Mangakahia (11.7 pts) is also contributing double-figure scoring for ‘Cuse this season while dishing out 7.6 assists per game.
• The Orange rank in the top-5 of the ACC in assists per game (1st), blocked shots per game (1st), blocked shots (1st), steals per game (2nd), 3-PT field goals per game (2nd), 3-PT field goals made (3rd), turnovers forced (3rd), assists (4th), free throw attempts (4th), scoring offense (4th), steals (4th), won-lost % (4th), field goal % defense (5th), free throws made (5th), and 3-PT field goals attempted (5th). The team ranks top-25 nationally in blocked shots per game (2nd), total blocks (7th), and assists per game (23rd).
• In the conference, Mangakahia ranks in total assists (1st) and assists per game (1st), Cardoso ranks in total blocks (1st), blocked shots per game (1st), field goal % (1st), and rebounds (5th), Lewis ranks in free throw attempts (2nd) and minutes played per game (3rd), and Engstler ranks in steals per game (2nd). Nationally, Mangakahia ranks in assists per game (1st) and total assists (5th), while Cardoso ranks in field goal % (3rd), blocked shots per game (10th), and total blocks (14th).
• For four straight weeks, a Syracuse player was selected as Atlantic Coast Conference Freshman of the Week: Priscilla Williams (Jan. 18) and Kamilla Cardoso (Jan. 25, Feb. 1, Feb. 8).
• The NCAA announced that the 2021 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship will be held in San Antonio, Texas. The tournament will have a 64-team bracket and the .500 rule will be waived. A limited number of fans will be allowed with a capacity of up to 17% from the Sweet Sixteen through the Final Four. More information about ticket sales will be available after March 1. The committee will announce the bracket at 7 p.m. EST on Selection Monday, March 15 on ESPN.

Syracuse’s Last Game: The Orange defeated Boston College on Thursday night, 92-75. Five of the Orange’s seven scorers tallied double-figures. Tiana Mangakahia led the team with 19 points. Freshman Priscilla Williams contributed her first career double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Emily Engstler (18 pts), Kiara Lewis (14), and Digna Strautmane (10) also added double-digit scoring for ‘Cuse.

Head Coaches: Syracuse - Quentin Hillsman (15th year, 316-166) | NC State - Wes Moore (8th year, 184-64)

Opponent Coach Bio: In 31 years coaching basketball, Wes Moore has tallied 30 winning seasons, 25 postseason appearances, 26 20-win seasons, 13 25-win seasons, 12 Coach of the Year honors, and was the 2019 Associated Press National Coach of the Year Runner-Up. His overall coaching record is 742-233 with stints at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, Francis Marion, and Maryville College.

Opponent Last Year: Last season, NC State went 28-4 with a 14-4 mark in ACC play. The Wolfpack won the ACC Tournament over Florida State, 71-66.

Opponent’s Last Game: The Wolfpack defeated Pittsburgh, 83-53, on Thursday. Cameron Swartz led all scorers with 23 points. The team tied the single-game program record of 16 three pointers in the win. Raina Perez and Jakia Brown-Turner led the team with 14 points each.

Opponent Players to Watch: Elissa Cunane is leading the Wolfpack this season with 15.5 points and 7.9 rebounds per contest.

If Syracuse Wins: A statement win and an exclamation mark on an undefeated season in the Dome (and one game at Melo!).

If Syracuse Loses: A loss to a favorite for the national title is not a bad end to the season. Losses from Notre Dame (vs. Louisville) and Virginia Tech (vs. North Carolina) would even it out.

Next Game: The Orange will turn their attention to the ACC Tournament. They are currently projected to be the fourth seed and would play the winner of the No. 5 vs. No. 12/13 game. The women’s tournament will take place March 3-7 at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina. A limited number of tickets will be on sale for the men’s and women’s tournaments.