The NC State women’s basketball team suffered a jarring loss last week in Miami.
The Wolfpack fell behind early and was never able to rally against the unranked Hurricanes, losing by 14 points.
“You’re going to get everybody’s A-game, and you’ve got to be able to respond to that,” coach Wes Moore said in a postgame radio interview. “You’ve got to be tough enough — mentally, physically tough enough — to handle that, and we weren’t. They were stronger than us, they were more aggressive than us and, when things went bad, we didn’t handle that well either.”
Moore also hinted that changes may be in store for the Wolfpack. He was referring to playing time for some of the regulars, but the changes have already started. In addition to falling in the top 25, State dropped out of the top seed line in ESPN’s women’s bracketology, albeit with a month and a half left before the field is actually selected.
The good news for the Wolfpack, aside from a win over Duke that got State back on track, is they were able to hold onto their spot in our North Carolina women’s basketball power rankings. Here’s a look at all the D-I women’s programs in the state:
19. Gardner-Webb: The Runnin’ Bulldogs are 2-16 overall and 1-4 in the Big South, good for a last-place tie. They’re also 1-6 against other teams from the state this season.
18. UNC Wilmington: The second of North Carolina’s six last-place teams, the Seahawks are 3-14 overall and 1-5 in the Colonial. They are 1-3 against other programs in the state, not including an exhibition loss to Division II Mount Olive. Three of their next five games are against A&T, Campbell and Elon, however, so they could move up in the rankings if they get hot.
17. Western Carolina: The Catamounts are 5-14 overall, winless in the Southern Conference at 0-4 and have lost four straight. They are 2-4 against in-state rivals with two left against UNCG.
16. Queens: The Royals are winless in the Atlantic Sun, but at 0-5, 6-12 overall, they are merely tied for the bottom spot in the conference with Bellarmine. Queens is 1-2 against North Carolina opponents.
15. UNC Asheville: The Bulldogs are tied with Gardner-Webb for last in the Big South with a 1-4 conference record. They are 7-11 overall, however, and are 3-3 within the state.
14. Wake Forest: The Deacs round out the six last-place teams at the bottom of our poll. Wake is 4-15 but winless in the ACC at 0-7. The Demon Deacons have lost seven straight. Rutgers (10) is the only power conference team with a longer skid. They’ve lost to Davidson, A&T and Charlotte and still must play each of the in-state ACC foes.
13. Campbell: The Camels are over .500 on the year, at 9-8, but they’re just 2-4 in the CAA. They are 3-3 against N.C. foes but have lost their last three in-state matchups.
12. Elon: The flip side of Campbell, the Phoenix have a .500 conference record, at 3-3 in the CAA, three spots higher than the Camels, but they’re just 7-12 overall. They are a hard-fought 4-4 in the state with losses to ECU, NC State and UNC.
11. NC Central: The Eagles are two games under .500 at 8-10, but at 2-1 in the MEAC, they are tied for second place, a game out of first. In a one-bid league, a run in the conference tourney could earn Central its first NCAA Tournament appearance as a Division I program.
10. UNC Greensboro: The Spartans have lost two straight to fall to 13-6, 2-2 in the SoCon. They are 3-3 in the state, with a pair against Western Carolina remaining.
9. East Carolina: The Pirates have not been good neighbors, with just one game against in-state foes — a season-opening win over Elon. Their schedule, which included games against top-10 Virginia Tech and No. 1 South Carolina, has resulted in a 10-7 mark, 3-3 in the AAC.
8. Appalachian State: The Mountaineers are in the middle of the Sun Belt at 10-8, 4-3. They’re also 1-2 against other teams in the state, with losses at Davidson and Gardner-Webb.
7. Davidson: The Wildcats have an impressive 13-5 record but are below .500 in the A-10 at 3-4. They are 6-1 against other teams in the state with wins over Duke and Wake.
6. High Point: With a 4-1 conference mark and winners of four in a row, the Panthers are in a three-way tie for first in the Big South despite a 9-9 record overall.
5. NC A&T: The Aggies are a half-game out of first in the CAA at 4-1, 10-6 overall. They have a four-game winning streak and are 2-0 against the state, with wins over Wake and Guilford.
4. Duke: The Blue Devils lost to NC State last time out, snapping a three-game winning streak. At 12-6, 4-3 in the ACC, they are fighting for an at-large tourney berth.
3. Charlotte: The 49ers are 12-7, 5-2 in the AAC and a half-game out of the top spot. They are 3-2 in the state, including a loss to NC State in the opener.
2. UNC: The Tar Heels are No. 1 in the ACC but No. 2 in the state. A three-game win streak puts them at 14-5 overall and 6-1, good for a tie with Syracuse atop the league.
1. NC State: Despite the recent losses at Miami and Virginia Tech, the Wolfpack are still No. 7 in the country and, at 16-2, 4-2, within striking distance in the league.
