No. 3 CU Buffs women’s basketball vs. No. 10 North Carolina State Wolfpack
TIPOFF: Saturday, 11 a.m. MT, University of Virgin Islands Eldridge Blake Sports & Fitness Center in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
TV/RADIO: ESPN+/630 AM
RECORDS: Colorado 6-0, 0-0 Pac-12; North Carolina State 6-0, 0-0 ACC
COACHES: Colorado — JR Payne, 8th season (125-93; 226-206 career). NC State — Wes Moore, 11th season (248-81; 806-250 career).
KEY PLAYERS (Stats through Nov. 22): Colorado — G Frida Formann, 5-11, Sr. (15.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 3.5 apg, 2.3 spg, .463 FG%, .414 3PT%, 1.000 FT%); C Quay Miller, 6-3, Sr. (11.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg); G Jaylyn Sherrod, 5-7, Sr. (14.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 6.8 apg, 2.8 spg, .486 FG%); G Sara-Rose Smith, 6-1, Sr. (6.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, .668 FG%); C Aaronette Vonleh, 6-3, Jr. (19.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.8 apg, .717 FG%); G Kindyll Wetta, 5-9, Jr. (6.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.5 apg, .476 FG%). NC State — G Zoe Brooks, 5-10, Fr. (10.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 3.8 apg, .472 FG%); F Mimi Collins, 6-3, Sr. (11.8 ppg, 7.5 rpg, .515 FG%, .889 FT%); G Madison Hayes, 6-0, Sr. (9.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.8 apg, .474 FG%, .824 FT%); G Aziaha James, 5-9, Jr. (20.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.2 apg, .491 FG%, .500 3PT%, .900 FT%); G Saniya Rivers, 6-1, Jr. (17.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 5.5 apg, 2.8 spg, .512 FG%, .821 FT%).
NOTES: This is the final game of the Paradise Jam for both teams. CU defeated Cincinnati, 77-60, on Thursday, and Kentucky, 96-53, on Friday. … NC State routed Kentucky, 84-55, on Thursday, and defeated Cincinnati, 79-45, on Friday. … In Payne’s tenure, the Buffs are 69-7 in regular season, non-conference games, including 23-5 away from Boulder. … CU won the only previous meeting with the Wolfpack, beating No. 21 NC State, 67-62 in Boulder on Feb. 1, 1997. … NC State was picked to finish eighth in the 15-team ACC in a preseason poll of coaches. … Unranked to start the season, the Wolfpack jumped into the rankings with a 92-81 win against preseason-No. 2 Connecticut on Nov. 12. … NC State won the ACC tournament three years in a row (2020-22) and has played in each of the last six NCAA Tournaments.