BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — N.C. State’s road to the Final Four goes through UConn.
The Wolfpack defeated Notre Dame, 66-63, in the first game of the Bridgeport regional semifinals at Total Mortgage Arena to reach its first Elite Eight in 24 years. The Pack will face the Huskies, who defeated Indiana, 75-58, in the second Sweet 16 game of the day. The top two seeds in the region will meet at 7 p.m. Monday.
The Wolfpack (32-3) is looking to advance to the Final Four for the first time since 1998. That year, N.C. State had to go through UConn, as well, defeating the Huskies 60-52 in Dayton, Ohio.
The Pack and UConn (28-5) have not met head-to-head since the 2006-07 season, and the Huskies lead the all-time series with N.C. State, 6-2..
Containing one of the best
UConn features one of the top players in college basketball, sophomore guard Paige Bueckers, who dropped in 15 points against Indiana in the Sweet 16.
Bueckers was the 2021 AP Player of the Year, Naismith Trophy winner, Wooden Award winner and USBWA Player and Freshman of the Year. She was also named to the 2021 Final Four All-Tournament team.
Getting the first crack at slowing down the 5-11 guard will more than likely be Wolfpack graduate Kai Crutchfield, the team’s best perimeter defender.
“If y’all haven’t noticed, she has a whole lot of God-given talent and ability,” N.C. State coach Wes Moore said about Crutchfield after the win over the Irish. “I just think she — her ceiling is so high.”
Crutchfield was part of the reason the Wolfpack held Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles to six points in the second half of Saturday’s win. Earlier this season, the Raleigh native also held UNC all-ACC guard Deja Kelly scoreless.
Against Notre Dame, Crutchfield also showed the ability to do it on the offensive end, scoring 14 points. She added four steals.
“That’s how she got her name, Clutchfield, whatever,” Moore said. “Just seems like, when you really need her to, she steps up and hits the big shot or makes the big play.”
Bueckers missed 16 games and had surgery on her right knee. She went out in November and returned to the team on February 25. She took 17 shots against Indiana, the most attempts since her return.
“It helps me just to not think if I come out aggressive out of the gate,” Bueckers said. “It’s easy to come back from an injury to think a lot and second guess your decisions. I thought it helped me a lot coming out aggressive. I just played basketball, I took what the defense gave me.”
‘Taking another step’
UConn will be making its 16th consecutive trip to the Elite Eight.
The Huskies made it to the Final Four a year ago. This is just the second trip to the Elite Eight for N.C. State. The Pack has never won an NCAA championship. The Huskies have won 11, most recently in 2016.
Saturday’s win by N.C. State was its 29th win all-time in the NCAA tournament. UConn has advanced to 21 Final Fours, playing in 33 NCAA tournaments.
“We’re excited about taking another step,” Moore said after the Notre Dame game. “And like I said, rewriting the chapter from a year ago.”
Last season the Huskies fell to Arizona, 69-59, in the Final Four.
Starters on starters
In the convincing win over Indiana, UConn’s starters combined for 62 of the team’s 75 points. N.C. State’s starters combined for 53 of its 66.
Both teams got 13 points from their bench.
The Pack roster includes the two players most recently named ACC Sixth-Person of the Year: Diamond Johnson (2021-22) and Jada Boyd (2020-21).
Boyd provided a needed spark for N.C. State Saturday when Kayla Jones went out briefly with an injury. She finished with 8 points.
The reserves who can produce the most on Monday might be the difference. The Pack went eight deep Saturday. The Huskies had a solid nine-player rotation.
“Everyone has a role to play on our team,” Auriemma said. “And it depends on what night it is, what your role is going to be that night.”
Board work
UConn outrebounded Indiana, 39-27, including 15 offensive rebounds.
N.C. State edged Notre Dame on the boards, 32-31.
The Huskies had two players with 10 or more rebounds. Olivia Nelson-Ododa had 14, Aaliyah Edwards had 10. Both players had five offensive rebounds. Cunane led the Pack with 10 boards, including three offensive.
UConn had 14 second-chance points against the Hoosiers. N.C. State had 13 against the Irish.
“I just think offensive rebounding is a part of the game, it’s not something that a lot of players take pride in,” Auriemma said. “We talked a lot about — we need to give ourselves more possessions than just that one shot.”
The Huskies took 19 more shots than Indiana.
A final word on State
“Obviously, N.C. State’s the number one seed and they’ve been as good as anybody all season long.” — UConn head coach Geno Auriemma
Starting lineups
UConn
N.C. State
