UM coach Katie Meier on facing No. 4 N.C. State at home Thursday: ‘They’re for real’
The University of Miami women’s basketball team has lost four of its five conference games so far this season, but a home win over No. 4 North Carolina State on Thursday would help ease the pain.
The Hurricanes, coming off a historic Elite Eight run last spring, broke into the Top 25 after a 10-1 start this winter. They have struggled since the start of the ACC season and Thursday’s 6 p.m. game will be the toughest test against the highest ranked team they have played thus far.
N.C. State boasts a 15-1 overall record and is 3-1 in the ACC, its only blemish a one-point last-second loss to 14th-ranked Virginia Tech, which beat the Hurricanes by 24.
The Pack features a balanced attack with six players averaging double digit scoring — freshman guard Zoe Brooks, junior guards Aziaha James and Saniya Rivers, senior guard Madison Hayes and graduate forward Mimi Collins.
“They’re for real,” said UM coach Katie Meier. “They’ve done an incredible job. They’ve got really good talent and are running really smart stuff. They’re a very connected team. They’re special.”
Asked how you contain a team with six double-digit scorers, Meier said: “Those six can get 30. All of them can drop 20. It’s not like they all just do like 12 or 11 and that’s their double figures. They literally have six 30-point scorers, depending on what they pick and choose.”
One key player Miami probably will not have to worry about is 6-5 center River Baldwin, who is out with an ankle injury.
Meier is urging her players not to get intimidated by the Pack and rather to focus on playing five clean minutes at a time. “If you walk in and go, `Oh my god, what are we going to do for 40 minutes?’ No. We’re competitive. We’re good. Get three stops and get a could stops and get to the fourth quarter.”
The Hurricanes are coming off a 70-59 loss to Notre Dame in which they turned the ball over 26 times and went 4-of-22 from three-point range.
“We need to have a little bit more maturity with our decision making,” Meier said.
School is back in session this week after the holiday break and Meier hopes students show up in big numbers. “It’s good because there’s going to be a huge crowd for (the men’s game against FSU) Wednesday night, so hopefully it’s a celebratory happy crowd afterward and they want to see some more on Thursday night.”