What NC State learned from its last meeting with LSU, how its evolved going into Sweet 16 battle

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Mar 24, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack center Lorena Awou (1) and Michigan State Spartans forward Grace VanSlooten (14) leap for a rebound during the first half at James T. Valvano Arena at William Neal Reynolds. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images

SPOKANE, Wash. -- In front of just 327 people inside a ballroom converted into a basketball arena at the Baha Mar Pink Flamingo Championship in Nassau, Bahamas, NC State wasn’t ready for LSU to throw the first punch. The Wolfpack was a fresh team, looking to find its footing with a mix of veterans and freshmen looking to fill new roles. That allowed the Tigers to jump out in front of the Wolfpack, using a dominant rebounding presence, to coast past in Paradise. It’s been 120 days since that late-November meeting, and NC State believes it has grown immensely since it was outrebounded by 20 in the 17-point loss on the small tropical island. There’s some truth behind that. In the first meeting between the two squads, sophomore forward Mallory Collier started at the post and struggled to defend LSU’s elite front court players. She had just six rebounds, while Aneesah Morrow and Sa’Myah Smith combined for 21 of the Tigers’ 44 boards. Ever since that outing, NC State has seemed like a different team. The Pack has gone 24-3 after its loss to the Tigers, which was its third in the first seven games. And it believes it is ready for a showdown with LSU in the Sweet 16 on Friday night (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) in Spokane, Wash. That allowed the Tigers to jump out in front of the Wolfpack, using a dominant rebounding presence, to coast past in Paradise. It’s been 120 days since that late-November meeting, and NC State believes it has grown immensely since it was outrebounded by 20 in the 17-point loss on the small tropical island. There’s some truth behind that. In the first meeting between the two squads, sophomore forward Mallory Collier started at the post and struggled to defend LSU’s elite front court players. She had just six rebounds, while Aneesah Morrow and Sa’Myah Smith combined for 21 of the Tigers’ 44 boards. Ever since that outing, NC State has seemed like a different team. The Pack has gone 24-3 after its loss to the Tigers, which was its third in the first seven games. And it believes it is ready for a showdown with LSU in the Sweet 16 on Friday night (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) in Spokane, Wash.