On Thursday night, the postseason will officially begin for the Pack when it heads into the ACC Tournament in Greensboro, N.C.
The team will open up tournament play with a game against the No. 11 seed Clemson Tigers. In the only meeting on Jan. 31, the Pack lost to Clemson, 56-69, in Clemson, S.C.
“With any loss, after the buzzer goes off and you lost the game, you ask anyone and they’re like ‘dang I wish I could play this game again,'” junior forward Brittany Strachan said. “Because I know we went down to play at [Clemson], we weren’t prepared. We just lost focus. Any team that we lose to, I would like to have again. So starting with Clemson, we’re going to bring it. “
But State is not the same team that is was before. The Pack is coming into the tournament with momentum stemming from winning its last four out of five games and defeating Georgia Tech, 54-46, in the season finale. It was the team’s first win against a ranked opponent.
“We just have to bring the same intensity, same team defense, same team offense like we did [Sunday] in order to get past the first round of the ACC, which we failed to do in the past two years,” senior guard Nikitta Gartrell said. “I love my teammates and I know that we’re capable of doing it. We can’t just dwell on ‘okay we beat Georgia Tech on Sunday,’ because that’s not going to fly.”
In less than a month, the Pack lifted its record to .500 (7-7) in the conference and moved from a potential No. 9 seed up to a No. 6 seed in the tournament. But the Pack players knows they cannot dwell on the past if they want to be successful in the tournament.
“That [Feb. 25] Wake Forest game maybe refocused our team,” head coach Kellie Harper said. “And at probably a good time going right into the tournament. It was able to remind us of what we do well and what allows us to win.”
State is also gaining individual recognition going into the tournament. Sophmore Bonae Holston was named to the All-ACC Honorable Mention team and freshman Marissa Kastanek was named the ACC Freshman of the Year. But coach Harper feels the veteran presence on the team will lead it through the tournament.
“The experience of being in the tournament is important,” Harper said. “Teams that have been to the NCAA Tournament can typically go back in better the second time because they understand what’s going on. I think your veteran team understands it and can typically handle things a little better.”
If State takes down the Tigers, it will go on to play the No. 24 University of Virginia Friday night en route to its quest for a bid to the NCAA Tournament.