NC State vs. Stanford: A Historical Perspective

NC State and Stanford will tip off on the West Coast at 7 PM (EST) tonight, marking the third time the Wolfpack and the Cardinal have played one another on the basketball court.

NC State and Stanford played each other in a home-and-home series during the back-to-back seasons of 2011-12.

In the first game of the series, the Wolfpack lost 72-76 against the Cardinal on the road on December 4, 2011. NC State shot better from the field (47.3% vs. 36.2%) and from beyond the arc (41.2% vs. 35.7%), but Stanford made up the difference from the free throw line, making 16 more from the charity stripe. The Wolfpack shot better, but the Cardinal held the edge in offensive rebounding percentage, turnover percentage, and free throw rate.

The CJs led the pack, with Williams scoring 18, and Leslie chipping in 14. Lorenzo Brown also had 12.

The next year, #25 NC State got their revenge, defeating Stanford 88-79 at home on December 8, 2012. The Wolfpack won the battle in effective field goal percentage and free throw rate, while the Cardinal led in offensive rebound percentage and turnover percentage.

Zo Brown led the Pack with 24 points, and Richard Howell had a double-double of 17 points and 12 boards. Scott Wood scored 17 points, sinking 5 three-pointers. CJ Leslie added 16 points.

Tonight, the Wolfpack has a chance to take the edge in the series in their first matchup with the Cardinal as ACC foes.