NC State Basketball
Game Recap: Wolfpack Turns Chapel Hill Red 58-46
What a result and a spirited effort on both sides of the ball for the Pack tonight as they took down bitter rival UNC. Not only did State play great defense but the history books will forever back up tonight’s effort as they held UNC to the fewest points they have ever scored in the Dean Dome. That is not a hyperbole and yes it may take a moment for that to sink in. This game was a microcosm for NC State this season as they held a big lead (16 at one point) only to let the opponent claw back (within 2), but this time they found the way to win. Trevor Lacey stated after the game,” We are learning how to win.” This team has certainly played great basketball of late; currently on a 3 game win streak. Another impressive feat for this team is that they are now 4-3 on the road in the ACC with wins at Louisville and UNC.
There were plenty of big moments in this game as State found a way each time to quiet a ruckus crowd. I had a front row view tonight and must give the UNC fans credit as it was almost impossible to hear as they made their run in the second half. During that run State had to burn a couple of time-outs just to get themselves steadied after UNC delivered some big haymakers. In the second half UNC turned up the defensive pressure which the Pack struggled with, only to find the soft spots in the greatest time of need. Coach Gottfried coached an excellent game and made a key sub in Dez Lee to help counter the hectic run and jump defense of the heels. In my opinion Dez deserves a ton of credit as he settled the Pack with two big free throws when it seemed like State could not score. Those two points seemed to give the Pack a lift and confidence to finish the job.
Cat Barber was great again as he used his speed and quickness to attack UNC in the paint. He also hit some tough shots as the shot clock approached zero. On the night he finished with 15 points, 4 assists, and 4 rebounds. Not only was he instrumental on offense but he was tasked with chasing Marcus Paige around all night. How did he fare? Paige finished the game with 7 points on 3-8 shooting. Finally NC State was able to remove this notorious thorn from their side. Cat was a main reason why Paige could not find any daylight. Trevor Lacey was also big time and continues to support the statistics that he is the best 1 on 1 scorer in college basketball. Tonight he found a way to beat the longer more athletic Tokoto.
The punctuation mark came when Lacey caught the ball at the top of the key, as he looked to shoot the three ball he saw an opening…He drives right into the paint with Tokoto on his back to finish a difficult layup as Tokoto fouls him. He then calmly steps to the line and sinks the free throw. Trevor finished with 14 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block. Talk about filling the stat sheet. Lacey and Barber were the dynamic duo tonight but Ralston “Freeze” Turner hit some insanely big three pointers that all came at crucial points in the game. In the midst of a flurry of turnovers that led to UNC fast break points, Ralston was able to hit a couple of threes that silenced the UNC faithful. State does not win this game without Ralston and his outside shooting. Turner finished the game with 14 points on 4-8 shooting from distance.
A win on the road against the 15th ranked Tarheels does wonders for our program. It should give our players a confidence boost knowing that they can win in a hostile environment. Not only does this win solidify the fact that NC State Basketball is on the upswing but it does wonders for our NCAA resume. I can confidently say with tonight’s win we are firmly in the field of 68, but let’s pump the brakes as we must regain focus and beat Boston College. I am all for enjoying the win tonight and tomorrow, yet there is still lots of work to be done. Tonight NC State succeeded in accomplishing a feat that is nothing to trivialize and that is beating both Duke and UNC. I said it before the only way we can gain respect is to beat these two team and thus far we have. There is no doubt that this team is getting better and nothing supports that fact better than waltzing into Chapel Hill and leaving with a win.
There is no better sight than a Red Bell Tower…especially it being lit after a win against North Carolina.
Someone ask Gott why he doesn’t offer Stone a scholarship. Newman has said he would like to play on the same college team as Stone. Then why not try to get the two five star players for 2015. We have plenty of scholarships left.
Wolfer96 I have mentioned it before, we need an assistant coach that can teach the big guys offensive moves. Had we had more production from Abu, Anya, and Washington, we would not have to worry about the remaining minimum four games. At least Anya is blocking more without fouling. In my opinion, we still need a PG and another big in this years recruiting.
I feel like a light bulb went off in Gottfried’s head several games ago. All season he was trying to force Barber to play the traditional PG. I don’t know what happened but Gottfried had an epiphany and realized that Barber is not that kind of guard. Barber does not have good court vision and doesn’t have good passing ability. What he does have is quickness, ball handling, and a total lack of fear. It feels like Gott finally said “okay enough’s enough” and took the reigns off of Barber. He gave up on trying to make Barber what he… Read more »
wolfpack74 Wolfer96 Oh yeah our half court defense was outstanding with Anya as the anchor. What was refreshing was that our guys were communicating. They were pointing to teammates to cover their man. Even on switches we did a good job of recovering and not over-hedging like we’ve been so prone to do all season. We did have a stretch in the 2nd half where our transition defense almost let unc right back in the game but Gott called a couple of quick timeouts to keep the wheels from flying off. All in all, an ugly hard-fought game. We needed a… Read more »
PI, you should have showed ANYA some love in this article. His presence in the middle was crucial.
We are going to have more on Anya to come…Don’t worry and you are right he was awesome last night.
How many ‘one and dones’ did Carolina have, thanks to our bigs out rebounding them. Everyone is used to seeing Carolina get easy put backs and dunks to spark the crowd, but not tonight. Our bigs deserve a lot of respect for keeping the game in hand.
True indeed
THEOKEEP I am also. He hasn’t had enough time in a single game to get into the flow. He can also play defense when required.
Im glad coach played Desmond Lee a composed player.
Wolfer96 It’s obvious we need BJ in the middle. It wasn’t pretty, but a win at UNC is worth two at home.
It’s almost time to get the bandwagon out of the barn. Where has the defensive effort been all year? Not complaining or whining, just hope it keeps on going.
What a game, what a game.
BJ holding down the paint, Turner hitting from outside, Cat slicing and dicing, and everyone contributing on the glass. Finally a win at the Dean dome!