Auburn-NC State Preview (Mar 14, 2017)
North Carolina State wanted a better late-season outcome. Auburn was bummed by its results in the Southeastern Conference.
So now a pair of teams looking for redemption will have a chance to acquire good vibes in the NCAA Tournament.
Competing as part of the Lexington Regional, sixth-seeded N.C. State (22-8) will tangle with 11th-seeded Auburn (17-14) on Friday at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas, in the first round.
"We felt so much disappointment in ourselves because of the way that we (played late in the SEC schedule)," said Auburn coach Terri Williams-Flournoy, whose team was nationally ranked at one point. "We were doing everything (right). Then at the end of the season it was like 'Oh no.'"
Auburn went through a six-game losing streak in February, then dropped its only game this month when losing to Georgia in the SEC Tournament.
N.C. State had a relatively strong February, but the Wolfpack has played only one NCAA Tournament team since mid-January, facing Louisville twice. There was a road victory for the Wolfpack against the Cardinals, but then N.C. State dropped its ACC Tournament opener to Louisville, a 59-58 loss.
N.C. State was aiming for an NCAA home bid, so coach Wes Moore said that was disappointing.
"No matter who it is this time of the year, you're going to play somebody good," said Moore, whose team didn't make the NCAA field last season. "After what happened last year at this time, you have a little chip on your shoulder. Hopefully, this will rejuvenate that a little bit."
N.C. State has a veteran team, with seniors Dominique Wilson, Miah Spencer, Ashley Williams and Jennifer Mathurin joining junior Chelsea Nelson in the starting lineup.
That roster makeup makes this a crucial season for the Wolfpack. It's also an element that Moore said might help deal with Auburn's pressing defense.
"Hopefully, we can handle the press and make good decisions," Moore said. "I feel good having four seniors out there is a big plus."
Auburn is in the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row after a six-year absence. A year ago, the Tigers made it to the second round as a No. 9 seed.
Williams-Flournoy said the Tigers are battle-tested, in part by the teams they played out of conference.
"Some we won, some we didn't," she said. "We played some tough teams."
Auburn is 2-1 all-time against N.C. State, winning in the 2004 NCAA Tournament. N.C. State won the most-recent meeting at home in 2012 in Williams-Flournoy's first season.
It has been 31 years since Auburn played in Austin, losing to SEC member Mississippi in a 1986 regional semifinal in its only other game in the Texas city.
The N.C. State-Auburn winner meets either No. 3 seed Texas (23-8), which is the host school, or 14th-seeded Central Arkansas (26-4) in Sunday's second round.
