After losing two consecutive games for the first time this season, the No. 10 NC State women’s basketball team hits the road to face Miami on Thursday.

The Wolfpack (22-3, 11-3 ACC) comes into the game after having lost two games in a row at home to then-No. 9 Louisville and unranked Georgia Tech. It was the first time in over a year that the team has lost back-to-back games and the first time in over two years it lost back-to-back home games. The Pack now looks to avoid losing three straight games for the first time since the 2017-18 season. 

The Hurricanes (13-12, 5-9 ACC) are coming off a 63-48 road win over Clemson, but prior to that they had lost three consecutive games, giving them a 1-4 record in the month of February. They currently sit at 12th in the ACC standings.

Miami has struggled offensively this season in conference play, ranking second to last in the ACC in points per game (58.1) and field-goal percentage (35.7%). The team also ranks dead last in opponent field-goal percentage, allowing opponents to shoot 43.1% from the field. Rebounding has been an issue as well for the Hurricanes, as they rank last in defensive rebounds per game (21.1) and next-to-last in rebounding margin (-5.5). 

NC State will look to correct some defensive issues against Miami’s below-average offense after allowing Louisville to shoot 48.1% from the field and allowing Georgia Tech to shoot 47.3%. Rebounding should not be an issue, as the Pack ranks first in the ACC during conference play in rebounding margin with a positive margin of 5.4 per contest. 

One player in particular for the Wolfpack who looks to get back on track this game is senior guard Aislinn Konig. The preseason All-ACC selection has struggled over the last two games, having not scored at all against Georgia Tech and having shot a combined 0-7 from 3-point range in both home losses. Ranking first in the ACC during conference play in 3-point field-goal percentage at 41.1% and fourth in 3-point field-goals per game with 2.8, Konig looks to get back to her sharpshooting ways against the Hurricanes, who rank second to last in 3-point field-goal percentage defense (34.5%).

While others on her team have struggled, junior forward Kayla Jones has played some of the best basketball of her career over the last two games, scoring 17 points in both outings and shooting an efficient 53.6% from the field. The Wolfpack hopes to continue to get good production out of her down the stretch of the season, as well as sophomore center Elissa Cunane, who scored 17 points on 50% shooting against Georgia Tech after going an abysmal 1 for 12 from the field against Louisville. 

The Hurricanes have two of the best 3-point shooters in the ACC in guards Mykea Gray and Kelsey Marshall, who both rank in the top 10 in the league in 3-pointers made during conference play. Gray has led the team in scoring during conference play with 15 points per game and she is also a defensive specialist, leading the league in steals per game with 2.9. She will likely be guarding Konig, who has the highest assist/turnover ratio in the league with 2.2.

Another intriguing matchup will be down low as Cunane will likely go up against Miami’s Brianna Jackson, who is third in the ACC during conference play in blocked shots per game with 1.9. Cunane, meanwhile, is sixth in the ACC in points per game with 17.1.

After losing two games last week, the Wolfpack dropped to second place in the ACC standings and currently sits one game behind Louisville for the top spot, although Louisville holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over NC State should the two finish with the same conference record. According to Charlie Creme of ESPN, NC State is a projected 3-seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. While a win against Miami likely wouldn’t move the Wolfpack up a seed, a loss wouldn’t look good on the team’s resume and would hurt its chances of potentially moving up later in the season.

With just four games left in the regular season, it is crucial that the Wolfpack gets back to its winning ways to have a good seed in the ACC Tournament and be well-positioned for a run at the ACC title. An ACC title run could bring the Pack back in the conversation for a No. 1 seed. 

The game against Miami tips off at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 20 and will be broadcast live on the ACC Network.