After winning the MEAC championship, North Carolina A&T earned the right to play No. 1 seed North Carolina State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
“It’s exciting, and it’s a familiar opponent,” head coach Tarrell Robinson said. “We opened up our season last year against N.C. State.
“It’s an in-state rival as far as DI schools in the state. It’s a great draw. We are excited.”
The Aggies are coming off their fifth MEAC title with a 59-57 win over Howard after senior forward Deja Winters hit the game-winning 3-pointer with 3.0 seconds remaining.
N.C. A&T has won the regular-season title four times, including this season. The Aggies will also be making their third tournament appearance since 2016.
In 2018, the Aggies faced the No. 1 seed and defending national champion University of South Carolina and lost 63-52 at USC’s William-Brice Stadium. In 2016, the Aggies lost to No. 1 seed Notre Dame, 91-65, at the Joyce Center.
North Carolina State is ranked third with a 20-2 overall record and 12-2 mark in the ACC.
The Wolfpack come into the tournament on an eight-game winning streak, including a three-game run in the ACC Tournament.
The last time these schools faced each other occurred on Nov. 6, 2019, as the then-14th-ranked Wolfpack defeated the Aggies 80-44 at Reynolds Coliseum. Current Aggie and first-team All-MEAC selection Deja Winters had 17 points and nine rebounds on 7-for-17 shooting from the floor that night.
Who: North Carolina State vs. North Carolina A&T
When: Sunday
Time: 4 p.m. EST
TV: ESPN
Courtesy: North Carolina A&T Athletics
