Hurricanes Rally to Beat Pack 65-60

NC State used a breakout performance by Malik Abu (career high 19 points) to hold a 33-26 advantage at the half, but came out flat to start the second half. There were too many similarities between this game and their last game against FSU. In our last game State came out and looked great only to falter in the second half, unfortunately this happened again. The difference tonight came down to the quality of the opponent. The Hurricanes were much more focused and played with outstanding energy that allowed them to battle back. Rodriguez and McClellan out performed our dynamic duo of Turner and Lacey.

Rodriguez used his handle and quickness to penetrate inside where he drew a number of fouls. On the night he finished with 14 points with 8 of those coming from the charity stripe. McClellan was a nightmare for the Pack as he used his athleticism and strength to beat whoever was guarding him. He finished with 16 points on 50% shooting and was a perfect 7-7 from the free throw line. To add insult to injury McClellan added 10 rebounds to help the Canes win the battle of the glass, they out-rebounded State 26-24.

A major reason why the Wolfpack didn’t come away with the win is because we were not the aggressors in the second half! I love Trevor Lacey and believe he is one of the most talented scorers in the ACC; however, he needs to be in full attack mode the entire time he is on the court. Too often he is passive for long stretches and waits until the game is close to try and takeover. He needs to come out of the gate in the second half with the mindset to push the game out of reach for the opponents. Tonight was the perfect time for NC State to display a killer instinct. On the road against a good Miami team we were up by 7 and had all the momentum, but somehow we came out lethargic which gave Miami hope. Trevor and Ralston must shoulder the burden and fire up the younger guys.

Our team only goes as far as these two guys will take us. Tonight they were subpar and the result was a loss. Winning on the road is no easy feat in the ultra competitive ACC. This is why we can’t allow golden opportunities pass us by like we did tonight! Hopefully our guys are learning the hard way. The good news is you always have a great bounce back game in the ACC. Sunday the 13th ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish visit PNC Arena. We must put this loss behind us and be ready to play this weekend.

Side Note: Malik Abu is getting more and more comfortable with each outing. Tonight he was excellent as he used great awareness and spacing to free himself from defenders. Abu also showed a nose for the basket as he was able to read Lacey on an outstanding ally late in the second half. Look for Abu to get major minutes down the stretch and be a key contributor going forward.