By WRAL staff

The NC State women’s basketball team finds itself with a chance to return to the Final Four, but with necessary adjustments to make, should it want to reach that goal.

State is flying high after a 83-49 drubbing of Michigan State on Monday in the Round of 32. After a cross-country flight to Spokane, Washington, the Wolfpack don’t have time to be jet lagged as LSU, already having beaten them this season, awaits on Friday.

State trailed for most of the first game against the Tigers on Nov. 27, falling 82-65 in the Baha Mar Pink Flamingo Championship. State’s leading scorer Aziaha James struggled to hit shots, having a 4-of-13 shooting night. LSU was sound as it shot 53 percent from the field, hit 7-of-14 shots from 3-point range and took the rebounding battle by a wide 44-24 margin.

“We know it’s a big challenge,” said NC State coach Wes Moore. “Obviously, we met them earlier in the year, and so we know we’re going to have to play really well.”

The loss left the Wolfpack with a 4-3 record, albeit against stout competition in South Carolina, LSU and TCU. State is 24-3 since that point and won comfortably in its two first-round NCAA Tournament games at Reynolds Coliseum.

“We had some big wins along the way that obviously gives you great confidence,” Moore said. “Just the consistency, that’s a big thing to me. I don’t want to be a team that’s up-and-down and, as you mentioned, if we win on days we shoot well, we lose on days we don’t, I don’t want to be that team.”

A carryover from Monday’s performance would be a good recipe for advancing. It was a much-needed jolt after letting a 14-point lead slip away days earlier in the ACC championship against Duke. Against Michigan State, NC State shot 50 percent from the floor and hit 15 3-pointers, an NCAA Tournament record for the program, with Moore claiming it as the possible high point of the season so far.

“I think we’re coming off maybe one of our best games of the season,” Moore said. “I thought Monday our defense was great. I thought offensively we shot the heck out of it. So hopefully, we can build off that momentum. But, yeah, it’s going to be a big challenge.”

There’s one parallel to State’s Final Four run last year. State traveled out west, to Portland, to win its regional and reach the second Final Four in program history. Key returnees in James, Zoe Brooks, Saniya Rivers and Madison Hayes have the Wolfpack in the mix again and eyeing more upsets, the first of which would have to come Friday.

“At the beginning of the season we were still trying to get a feel of each other, get a grasp,” Rivers said. “Obviously, we had a lot of returners, but I feel like with the freshmen coming in and people playing out of position, we just weren’t very comfortable and confident. So as the season went along, and we started putting pieces together, I would say we’re a much different team. Even though we lost to LSU early, I hope people don’t look at that because we’re a different team, and we’re ready to compete tomorrow.”

LSU is 30-5 and hasn’t lost a game outside of SEC play. The Tigers creamed Florida State 101-71 on Monday behind Sa’Myah Smith, Aneesah Morrow and Mikaylah Williams each scoring at least 20 points. LSU won its first-round game 103-48 against San Diego State.

The winner of NC State and LSU will take on the winner of UCLA and Ole Miss for the regional crown.

The NC State-LSU game tips off at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena.

Source: wralsportsfan.com