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Written by Louis Fernandez for WRAL Sports Filter.

The schedule is finalized, with the bracket determined. The only remaining task is to compete in the ACC women’s basketball tournament, which starts on Wednesday in Greensboro, North Carolina. Let’s examine the journey of the Triangle teams as they vie for the championship this week.

NC State

NC State secured the number 2 spot in the tournament by defeating Wake Forest on Sunday, earning them a double-bye. Their next game will be on Friday, March 8 at 5 p.m. against the winner of the 7-seed Duke and Georgia Tech/Pitt matchup. If the higher seeds make it through, NC State split their previous games with Duke, winning at home in January and losing at Cameron Indoor Stadium in February.

NC State’s Wolfpack team achieved a 25-5 record for the season, including a 13-5 record in ACC games. The team concluded their season with two successful home games against No. 19 ranked Syracuse and Wake Forest. Each of the Wolfpack’s five starters has an average of 10 or more points per game, with Aziaha James leading the pack at 15.6 points per game.

NC State has been victorious in the ACC women’s basketball tournament on seven occasions, with their most recent wins occurring consecutively in 2020, 2021, and 2022.

Duke

Despite their defeat against North Carolina on Sunday, Duke earned the 7th seed in the ACC Tournament. While they did not receive a double-bye, the Blue Devils will still have a pass for the first round and will play on Thursday, March 7 at 5 p.m. They will face the winner of the game between Georgia Tech, seeded 10th, and Pittsburgh, seeded 15th, which will be played on Wednesday.

The Blue Devils ended the season with a record of 19-10, with a conference record of 11-7 in the ACC. Duke has faced a challenging schedule, competing against highly ranked teams such as South Carolina and Stanford. The team prides itself on its strong defense, only allowing an average of 57.9 points per game. Junior Reigan Richardson leads in scoring, with an average of 11.9 points per game.

If the Blue Devils are victorious on Thursday, they will compete against 2-seed NC State on Friday at 5 p.m. The two teams have each won one game in the season series, with Duke emerging as the winner in the most recent matchup.

The ACC women’s basketball tournament has been won a total of eight times by Duke, with their most recent victory in 2013.

North Carolina

The University of North Carolina responded with a win over rival Duke in Carmichael Arena on Sunday, following their previous consecutive losses. They have secured the 8th seed in the upcoming ACC Tournament and will have a rest day before their match against the 9th seeded Miami on Thursday, March 7th at 1:30 p.m.

UNC finished the season with a 19-11 record, 11-7 in ACC play. The Tar Heels started ACC play 7-1, but lost four-straight games at the end of January and beginning of February. North Carolina went 4-2 in its final six games of the season. Deja Kelly, Alyssa Ustby and Lexi Donarski all score in double-figures for the Tar Heels, with Deja Kelly leading the way with 16.8 points per game.

If North Carolina wins on Thursday, they will play against the 1-seed Virginia Tech on Friday at 1:30 p.m. Virginia Tech won both games against UNC this year, but the first game went into overtime in Chapel Hill.

North Carolina holds the record for the most ACC women’s basketball tournament victories among current members, with a total of 9 titles. Their most recent win was in 2008.

Source: wralsportsfan.com