Tennessee (20-12 | 10-6 SEC) vs. North Carolina State (28-6 | 13-4 ACC)
NCAA Tournament
Monday, March 25th, 2024 | 3:00pm CT / 4:00pm ET
Raleigh, NC | Reynolds Coliseum | TV: ESPN
Raleigh, NC – RV/RV Tennessee women’s basketball (20-12), the No. 6 seed in the Portland 4 Regional, continues its 42nd-straight NCAA Tournament journey, meeting No. 3 seed and No. 11/11 ranked North Carolina State (28-6) on Monday at 3:00pm CT in a second-round match-up at Raleigh, NC.
The UT Lady Vols and Wolfpack will face off on Kay Yow Court inside the James T. Valvano Arena at William Neal Reynolds Coliseum. ESPN will televise the contest, while the audio broadcast will be available on Lady Vol Network radio stations and via live stream worldwide on UTSports.com.
The winner of Monday’s game will advance to the NCAA Sweet 16 at the Moda Center in Portland, OR, where it faces the victor of Sunday’s second-round match-up between No. 2 seed Stanford (29-5) and No. 7 seed Iowa State (21-11). That contest is slated for Friday with the time and TV designation to be announced later.
UT, which is receiving votes in both polls, tied for fourth in the SEC during the regular season at 10-6 and advanced to at least the semifinals of the SEC Tournament for the fourth straight season before falling to No. 1/1 South Carolina, 74-73, on March 9 on a banked-in three-pointer as time expired.
Kellie Harper‘s squad has played the nation’s toughest schedule according to at least one rating service, and it did so as injuries to Rickea Jackson, Destinee Wells and Jillian Hollingshead, as well as a gradual return by Tamari Key from a medical condition, impacted the team’s continuity and success during the early going.
NC State, meanwhile, tied for second in the Atlantic Coast in 2023-24 at 13-5 after being picked to finish eighth. It earned the No. 2 seed in the league tournament and fell in the semifinals to Notre Dame. NCSU earned an at-large bid and is making its 29th NCAA appearance.
This will mark the 16th meeting between these programs, with the Big Orange holding a 12-3 series lead.
Broadcast Details
Eric Frede (PxP) and Steffi Sorensen (Analyst) will have the call for ESPN.
All games included in the ESPN package (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU) will be available through WatchESPN, accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app, and streamed on televisions through Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 or Xbox One to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider.
A link to the live audio stream can be found on the Hoops Central page or the schedule on UTSports.com.
For a list of Lady Vol Network affiliates, please click on the Fans tab at the top of UTSports.com, select Vol Network and then select the Vol Network Affiliates tab.
Air time is typically 30 minutes before tip-off.
Return To Raleigh For UT Staffers
Tennessee head coach Kellie Harper, assistant coach/husband Jon Harper, director of sports performance Bryan Tatum and associate director of sports medicine Casi Dailey all spent time living in Raleigh and working at North Carolina State.
Kellie Harper was the head coach of the Wolfpack from 2009-13, and Jon Harper was an assistant on her staff.
Tatum was Harper’s strength coach at NC State from 2011-13 and rejoined her and Jon at UT prior to the 2021-22 season.
Dailey tended to sports medicine at NC State for Harper during the 2012-13 campaign (and for the Wolfpack from 2012-20 overall) and rejoined the Harpers at Tennessee prior to the 2020-21 season.
Hoops Worlds Collide
In addition to previously coaching at NC State, Kellie, and Jon Harper find themselves in an NCAA First and Second Round site with a coach and another program with which they spent a great deal of time.
Kellie and Jon Harper served as assistants for NC State’s Wes Moore for three years from 2001-04 when he was the head coach at Chattanooga (1998-2013).
That job prepared Kellie Harper to take her first head coaching job at Western Carolina (2004-09).
Kellie Harper‘s success at WCU led her to the NC State job, where she served as head coach with Jon as an assistant from 2009-2013.
After the Harpers’ tenure in Raleigh, Wes Moore followed as head coach of the Wolfpack.
To read about Moore’s ties to UT and the Knoxville area, please see opponent info. on page five.
Another Familiar Face On NCSU’s Staff
NC State assistant coach and director of operations Houston Fancher, a native of Newport, Tenn., was an assistant on Wes Moore’s staff from 1992-95 while Moore was head coach at Maryville (Tenn.) College.
Fancher also was on Buzz Peterson’s men’s basketball staff at Tennessee from 2009-13.
Lots Of Other Ties On These Teams
NC State’s Mimi Collins began her career at Tennessee, playing for the Lady Vols from 2018-19 (5.5 ppg., 3.4 rpg., 32 games) but transferred to Maryland when Holly Warlick stepped down after that season.
Before making her way to Raleigh, center River Baldwin played at Florida State, where Tennessee assistant Joy McCorvey was a member of the Seminole staff.
Baldwin played in the same summer basketball program as Tennessee’s Sara Puckett, Karoline Striplin, and Destinee Wells.
Tennessee’s Rickea Jackson and NC State’s Madison Hayes were previously at Mississippi State, playing on the same team during the 2020-21 season.
NC State junior Saniya Rivers and UT sophomore Talaysia Cooper (who is redshirting) each started their careers at South Carolina before transferring after their freshman seasons.
Shh! We’re Closed Scrimmage Opponents
Tennessee and NC State have met twice as closed scrimmage opponents, including prior to the 2023-24 and 2021-22 campaigns.
The long-time relationship between the Harpers and members of NC State’s staff has led to this arrangement for the programs.
The teams typically meet at a location between Knoxville and Raleigh and use the opportunity to get a read on where their teams stand before appearing in an exhibition game and to provide a team-bonding experience for the respective staffs and players.
Jewel Spear Has Been Here Before
Jewel Spear began her college career at Wake Forest, spending three seasons playing for the Demon Deacons before transferring to Tennessee prior to the 2023-24 campaign.
This will be the fifth time Spear has played vs. NC State, and the senior holds averages of 9.0 ppg. and 3.8 rpg. vs. the Wolfpack.
In Raleigh, Spear put up 11.5 ppg. and 3.5 rpg. while with Wake and had 13 points for the Lady Vols vs. Green Bay on Saturday.
Spear had 12 points playing at NC State in her first meeting with the Pack as a freshman.
She scored 11 as a sophomore at Reynolds Coliseum and had an 11-point, seven-rebound game in Winston-Salem vs. NCSU as a junior.
Facing Former Schools To Reach Round Of 16
Tennessee’s men’s program punched its ticket to its second straight NCAA Sweet 16 Saturday night with a 62-58 victory over Texas.
The Lady Vols will try to advance to the round of 16 for the third consecutive season on Monday vs. NC State.
Interestingly enough, the bracket path for both Tennessee basketball coaches required them to travel to the state of North Carolina and face their former schools in the second round in order to advance.
Rick Barnes did it Saturday night vs. the Longhorns in Charlotte, and Kellie Harper hopes to do the same in Raleigh against the Wolfpack on Monday night.
Homecoming For Tamari Key
Tennessee redshirt senior Tamari Key is playing in familiar territory as she makes a return to the Raleigh metro area where she grew up. Saturday marked her first official game in the state where she was raised.
Key is from nearby Cary, NC, and starred for the Cary High Imps during her prep career.
While Tamari is in Raleigh and on a Saturday and Monday (if win) schedule, Teonni and her Tarheels are just three hours away in Columbia, SC, and conveniently competing on Friday and Sunday and making it easier for mom to watch both daughters.
Winning 20 Games For The 47TH Time
Tennessee entered the 2024 NCAA Tournament one win shy of reaching the 20-win plateau for the 47th time, dating back to 1974, and it accomplished that feat by defeating Green Bay in the opening round.
It marks Tennessee’s fourth 20-win season in Kellie Harper‘s five years as head coach (11th in her career), with the 2020-21 total of 17 wins impacted by several COVID-related game cancelations that no doubt would have pushed the Lady Vols to 20.
Tennessee – The Olnly School In All 42
The Lady Vols are enjoying their 42nd appearance in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship, and UT is the only program to appear in all 42 tournaments.
Tennessee was an at-large qualifier for the 2024 NCAA Tournament, finishing in a tie for fourth in the SEC regular season and falling to No. 1/1 South Carolina in the SEC Tournament semifinals, 74-73, on a buzzer-beater.
UT earned a No. 6 seed for the first time and drew higher than a four seed for just the fourth occasion.
UT now is 4-3 when seeded higher than fourth, including 0-1 at No. 5 (2009), 1-0 at No. 6 (2024), 3-1 at No. 7 (2016) and 0-1 at No. 11 (2019).
The UT Lady Vols are 131-33 in NCAA Tournament play, ranking first in games played (164) and second in victories (131) in NCAA tourney history.
Tennessee is second behind UConn in winning percentage at .799 in tourney play.
UT is 6-3 in NCAA action under Kellie Harper, advancing to the second round so far in 2024, making the second round in 2021 and Sweet 16 in 2022 and 2023. Harper is one of only seven coaches to go to back-to-back Sweet 16s during the 2022 and 2023 campaigns.
UT has advanced to the NCAA regional round on 36 occasions, owning a 28-8 mark in the Sweet 16.
The only seasons UT did not make the regional level were in 2009 and from 2017 to 2021. UT lost its opening round contest as a No. 5 seed to No. 12 Ball State in Bowling Green, Ky., in 2009. No. 5 seed UT lost its second-round game at No. 4 seed Louisville in 2017. No. 3 seed UT lost its second-round game to No. 6 seed Oregon State in Knoxville in 2018.
No. 11 seed Tennessee fell to No. 6 seed UCLA in the first round at College Park, Md., in 2019. No. 3 seed UT dropped a 70-55 second-round decision to No. 6 seed Michigan in 2021 in San Antonio, Texas.
UT has made the Elite Eight 28 times and in five of the past 12 events, posting an 18-10 record in that round.
The Lady Vols have seen their season ended in the regional championship game in five of the past 12 years (2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016).
UT has advanced to 18 NCAA Final Fours and won eight of them (1987, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2007, 2008), ranking second to UConn.
Tennessee has finished second in the nation five times and third on five more occasions.
In facing NC State, UT is playing its 93rd different foe during all rounds of the NCAA Tournament, with these teams meeting in postseason play for the first time.
The Atlantic Coast Conference is one of 28 different conferences represented by Tennessee’s foes during the postseason.
UT is 17-7 vs. the league in NCAA games, dropping a 73-64 decision to Virginia Tech in the Seattle Regional 3 on March 25, 2023, the last time the Lady Vols faced an ACC opponent.
UT In The First and Second Rounds
Tennessee is making its 42nd appearance in the NCAA First/Second Rounds, and it owns a 64-5 record during games played in those rounds.
The Lady Vols are 34-2 all-time in the NCAA First Round and 30-3 in the NCAA Second Round.
The only blemishes are a first-round loss to Ball State, 71-55, in Bowling Green, Ky., on March 22, 2009, a second-round setback to Louisville, 75-64, in Louisville, Ky. on March 20, 2017, a second-round loss to Oregon State, 66-59, in Knoxville, on March 18th, 2018, a first-round ouster by UCLA, 89-77, on March 23rd, 2019, in College Park, MD, and a second-round loss to Michigan, 70-55, in San Antonio, Texas, on March 23rd, 2021.
In NCAA First/Second Round play, Tennessee is 49-1 at home, 4-2 away and 11-2 at neutral sites.
The breakdown for that is 25-0 home/0-1 away/9-1 neutral for the first round and 24-1 home/4-1 away/2-1 neutral for the second round.
UT/NCSU Series Notes
Tennessee has a 12-3 record all-time vs. NC State, including 5-0 at home, 4-2 on the road, and 3-1 at neutral sites.
The Lady Vols have won the past three meetings.
UT and NCSU are 1-1 in postseason contests, with the Wolfpack taking an 86-85 decision on March 12, 1976, in Cullowhee, NC, at the AIAW Region II Championships, and the Lady Vols prevailing, 64-62, on March 11th in Chapel Hill at the 1978 AIAW Region II Championships.
Tennessee is 112-34 all-time vs. teams who currently are members of the ACC, including 17-7 in NCAA Tournament play.
Kellie Harper is 0-1 vs. NC State as a head coach, but this is her first meeting with the Wolfpack while at Tennessee.
Harper faced NCSU while she was at Western Carolina during the 2007 season (L, 72-53).
A Look At The Wolfpack
NC State has a balanced attack, with all five starters averaging double figures in points, including Aziaha James (15.9), Saniya Rivers (12.5), Mimi Collins (11.1), Madison Hayes (10.9), and River Baldwin (10.4).
Baldwin and Hayes are tops in rebounds, each grabbing 7.1 per game, while Rivers and Collins pull down 6.3 per contest.
NCSU has won 59 straight home games against non-conference opponents.
NC State is making its 29th NCAA appearance, including its eighth under head coach Wes Moore.
About North Carolina State Head Coach Wes Moore
North Carolina State is led by 11th-year head coach Wes Moore, who is 270-87 in Raleigh and 828-256 overall in his 35th season in coaching.
He guided the Wolfpack to an ACC title and NCAA Elite Eight finish in 2021-22 and to runner-up showings in 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2023-24.
Moore also earned a B.S. in religion from Johnson University just outside of Knoxville in 1984 and has two degrees from the Univ. of Tennessee, including a B.S. and M.S. in physical education in 1986.
North Carolina State’s Most Recent Game
North Carolina State overcame 33-percent shooting to ease by No. 14 seed Chattanooga on Saturday, 64-45.
Aziaha James hit five three-pointers to total 19 points, while Saniya Rivers and River Baldwin chipped in 16 and 10, respectively, for the Wolfpack.
NC State extended its home winning streak in the NCAA Tournament to 17 games in a stretch that started in the 1985 edition of the postseason event.
UT-NCSU Contest
Tennessee overcame a three-point halftime deficit to capture a 64-54 road victory over NC State on Nov. 21, 2004, the last time these programs met.
Playing in the second game of the 2004-05 season at the RBC Center (now PNC Arena), Shyra Ely led the Lady Vols with 15 points, while Alexis Hornbuckle and Shanna Zolman tossed in 12 and 11, respectively, to fuel the triumph.
Tiffany Stansbury had a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double to lead the hosts.
