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Stanford takes on North Carolina State in the Sweet 16 of the 2024 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament on Friday night at Moda Center in Portland, Oregon.
Both teams are making their Sweet 16 comeback after a year-long absence. The No. 2 seed Stanford (30-5) is coming off an 87-81 second-round win over seventh-seed Iowa State, while No. 3 NC State (29-6) outplayed Tennessee 79-72 in the second round to advance.
The winner of the Sweet 16 clash moves on to the Elite Eight, where it faces the victor of the Texas-Gonzaga encounter on Sunday afternoon.
Stanford vs. NC State Prediction
This is the fourth match between the Cardinal and the Lady Wolfpack in history and the first time since Dec. 3, 1994. Stanford leads the series, 2-1, with the Cardinal winning their last encounter 78-63.
Stanford is the top Pac-12 team in offense, averaging 77.8 points per game, while NC State is the fifth-best offense in the ACC at 73.7 ppg.
Both teams are great in defense, as they hold their opponents to less than 60 points. The Cardinal owns the best defense in the conference at 59.0 ppg, while the Lady Wolfpack ranks second in the ACC at 59.9 ppg.
In terms of personnel, Kiki Iriafen and Cameron Brink lead the attack for the Tara VanDerveer-coached Stanford, as both players average double-digits in points and rebounds. Iriafen is the team's top contributor, with averages of 19.2 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists.
Brink is not too far behind as she tallies 17.5 ppg, 11.9 rpg, 3.6 bpg and 2.8 apg. Hannah Jump is the third player averaging in double figures at 10.5 ppg, and she is also the most durable Cardinal in the group, averaging 34.5 minutes per game.
On the other hand, the Lady Wolfpack rely on balanced scoring, with five players averaging in double figures. Aziaha James is NC State's top scorer at 16.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.9 apg and 1.1 spg, and she is backed up by Saniya Rivers, who contributes 12.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.3 steals per contest.
Mimi Collins, Madison Hayes and River Baldwin average at least 10.4 ppg for the Wes Moore-coach squad.
Stanford vs. NC State: Betting Odds
NC State is a 4.5-point underdog in this Sweet 16 game against Stanford.
According to BetMGM, Stanford is a 4.5-point favorite to win the match with a -210 moneyline. NC State, on the other hand, opens as a 4.5-point underdog, and the moneyline is pegged at +170. The total for this game is 134.5.
Stanford vs. NC State: Head-to-Head
Stanford holds a 2-1 edge in their head-to-head against NC State. The Cardinal won their last meeting against the Lady Wolfpack in December 1994, 78-63.
Stanford vs. NC State: Where to Watch
The Stanford-NC State Sweet 16 showdown will be televised on ESPN, while Fubo features the matchup on livestream. Tipoff is set at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Stanford vs. NC State: Key Injuries
Both teams have no major injury report going into their matchup.
Stanford vs. NC State: Pick
Stanford will parade its dual frontcourt threat in Iriafen and Brink while NC State counters it with balanced scoring. Expect the game to be close, as both teams will try to negate each other's strengths to get a good chance of winning.
The winner may likely score in the upper-60-point region as Stanford and NC State pride themselves on defense. However, Stanford's bigs will emerge victorious in this closely-fought matchup.
Pick: Stanford (-4.5, 210)
