Raleigh, NC – Two teams continuing to jockey for position ranked Virginia Cavaliers take on the NC State Wolfpack.
Virginia is an impressive 16-3 this season, but the team is just a game over .500 in conference (3-2). The Cavaliers took care of visiting Boston College with relative ease the last time out, 66-49, but they have alternated wins and losses over their last four bouts. Virginia is 4-1 in true road games this season, giving the team some extra confidence heading into this clash.
NC State took on bitter rival North Carolina on Thursday night, and was beaten back in a 74-55 loss in Chapel Hill. As a result, the Wolfpack enter this contest with a 15-6 overall ledger, and they are 4-2 in ACC action. NC State has won 11 of its first 14 home games of the season, and including this matchup, will play five of its final nine regular-season bouts in Raleigh.
NC State owns an 80-57 lead in the all-time series with Virginia, but the Cavs have won six of the last eight meetings.
Virginia's strength is its ability to play shut-down defense, as the team is allowing a paltry 50.1 ppg to rank among the national leaders in that category. Foes are shooting just 38.7 percent from the field overall, and only 26.9 percent from three-point range. The Cavaliers also control the glass (+7.0 rebounding margin), and are +2.3 in turnover differential. From an offensive standpoint, the team boasts one of the league's top performers in Mike Scott, who hits his total shots 58.1 percent of the time, his free throws at an 81.2 percent clip, and he grabs 8.4 rpg for good measure. Joe Harris (12.3 ppg) is the only other double-digit scorer for Virginia, which puts up 64.4 ppg on 45.7 percent field goal efficiency, which includes a 33.3 percent showing from beyond the arc. Scott was high man once again for the Cavaliers in their recent rout of Boston College, going 7-of-11 from the floor in netting 18 points. Akil Mitchell and Jontel Evans chipped in 10 points apiece for coach Tony Bennett's club, which shot 50.9 percent from the field and turned the ball over only eight times.
NC State took it on the chin in its recent matchup with rival North Carolina, as the team shot just 36.8 percent from the field and only 44.4 percent from the foul line. In contrast, the Tar Heels made good on 48.4 percent of their total shots and dominated the glass to the tune of a 48-26 rebounding advantage. The Wolfpack did manage to hit nine three-pointers in the game, but they committed 17 turnovers and were outscored in the paint, 42-20. Scott Wood was the only player to reach double figures for coach Mark Gottfried's squad, as he tallied 11 points even though he went just 4-of-12 from the floor. Wood is one of five double-digit scorers on the roster for NC State, as he leads the team with 13.2 ppg on the strength of his 44.4 percent (56-of-126) effort from beyond the arc. C.J. Leslie (12.6 ppg, 6.3 rpg), Lorenzo Brown (12.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 7.2 apg), C.J. Williams (11.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg) and Richard Howell (11.7 ppg, 9.0 rpg) round out the group, which averages 75.9 ppg on 47.2 percent field goal efficiency, which includes 37.0 percent from downtown. The Wolfpack yields 68.6 ppg, and lays claim to a +5.4 rebounding margin.
