CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Interstat) — The top-seeded Virginia Cavaliers, one of the nation’s elite teams, face a familiar and recently vanquished foe when they meet the North Carolina State Wolfpack in the ACC tournament quarterfinals on Thursday.

Virginia (27-4), which earned a double-bye, enters as a heavy favorite after dominating the Wolfpack twice in the regular season. The Cavaliers won 90-61 in Charlottesville on Feb. 24 and 76-61 in Raleigh on Jan. 3. Virginia’s stifling defense, ranked among the best nationally, held NC State to an average of 61 points in those meetings.

The Cavaliers’ anchor is center Ugonna Onyenso, a defensive force who blocked four shots in the February win over the Wolfpack. He is coming off an efficient 16-point, five-rebound, three-block performance in a 76-72 win over Virginia Tech on March 7.

Eighth-seeded NC State (20-12) arrives with momentum after a 98-88 victory over Pittsburgh in Wednesday’s second round. The Wolfpack’s hopes hinge on the dynamic play of guard Quadir Copeland, who erupted for 24 points and eight assists against the Panthers. Copeland, however, was held to just three points in the loss at Virginia last month.

The Wolfpack’s season has been inconsistent, marked by a lopsided loss to Duke and an overtime defeat at Notre Dame in late February, but also a 24-point rout of North Carolina. Replicating that high-level performance against Virginia’s system is the challenge.

The winner will advance to Friday’s semifinals. Virginia seeks to solidify its case for a high NCAA tournament seed, while NC State likely needs a deep ACC tournament run to secure an at-large bid.

Tip-off is set for approximately 2:30 p.m. EDT at the Spectrum Center.