Perhaps one of the most interesting thing about sports is all the fun little coincidences that arise.
With its win against Maryland in College Park last weekend, the No. 5 women's basketball team (16-1, 4-1 in the ACC) tied a team record by opening up the season 16-1. The 1999-2000 team accomplished the same feat before dropping the 18th game of the season to the N.C. State Wolfpack.
Tonight at 7 p.m. in Cameron Indoor Stadium, the Blue Devils play the 18th game of their season with a chance to set a new record, against 22nd-ranked N.C. State (11-5, 2-4).
Despite the coincidence and the chance of a new record, coach Gail Goestenkors said the team is focusing on the task at hand and not on the sportswriter-friendly circumstance.
"We haven't talked about it, and I'd prefer not to talk about it," Goestenkors said. "We have enough to worry about with N.C. State."
The Wolfpack enters the game on the heels of an 83-77 overtime loss to its other neighbor-rival, North Carolina. That loss dropped N.C. State to a disappointing 2-4 record in the conference.
The Blue Devils do not believe that the Wolfpack's slow start is any reason to take N.C. State lightly.
"They have all made the extra effort and they are gaining confidence," Goestenkors said. "Even though they lost some tough games, I think that they are playing much better lately. They are an exceptional team. It's a team that's scary because they are very athletic, they are very talented and they are angry."
Perhaps the most dangerous player on the Wolfpack roster is 5-foot-10 senior wing player Tynesha Lewis. Lewis, whose career has been peppered with moments of greatness as well as inexplicable slumps, seems totally on track this year and leads N.C. State in scoring with 13.8 points per game. She also averages 4.8 rebounds.
"Tynesha Lewis has really upped her scoring the last six games," Goestenkors said. "The last three in particular she's averaging almost 20 points per game. She's really playing with a lot of confidence right now."
N.C. State's other potent offensive threat is Carisse Moody. The 6-1 sophomore forward is second on the Wolfpack in scoring at 13.6 points per game and leads the team with 6.8 rebounds per game.
"Moody has also done a much better job in the last three games," Goestenkors said.
As for the Blue Devils, much of the attention heading into this game has been focused on freshman sensation Alana Beard.
Beard is coming off a week in which she averaged 28.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists to earn both ACC player and rookie of the week honors.
Goestenkors said that while she was pleased with Beard's Michael Jordan impersonation, she expected a more well-rounded attack against N.C. State.
"She had a great week last week," Goestenkors said. "But we tend to have more balanced scoring. I think everyone will step up for this game."
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