NC State 70 Boston College 62: BY THE NUMBERS

NC State (10-15, 3-11) just snapped a nine-game losing streak by defeating Boston College 72-60 at the Lenovo Center. This streak was tied for the longest in school history, and the victory prevented the squad from holding the record for the longest streak ever at NC State.

The Wolfpack continued to struggle with shooting accuracy, making only 39.3% of their shots. This marked the fifth straight game they have shot under 40%. Nonetheless, it was enough to secure the win, holding Boston College to 35.4% shooting.

In basketball, the other three Four Factors that lead to victories are winning the battles of offensive rebounds, turnovers, and free throws, in that order of priority.

NC State and Boston College each grabbed 10 offensive boards, but the Golden Eagles were +5 in second-chance points.

The Wolfpack dominated the turnover battle, forcing 16 while committing only 5, resulting in a +12 margin in points off turnovers.

The Golden Eagles won the battle at the charity stripe, making 85% of their free throws compared to the home team’s 68%. BC was +6 in free throws made and +2 in free throw attempts.

Another stat I love to analyze is the assist rate (assists divided by field goals made). NC State’s assist rate was 58.3%, and Boston College’s was 35.3%.

Senior guard Jayden Taylor led the Pack with 19 points, which is tied for his second-highest total of the season and the most points he’s scored since scoring 22 against Coastal Carolina on November 13. Taylor was 6 of 16 from the field.

Senior forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield was the only other NC State player to score in double figures, chipping in 11 points on 3-of-5 shooting from the field and making all five free throw attempts.

Senior guard Marcus Hill led the Pack with six rebounds, and senior guard Michael O’Connell led the team with six assists and zero turnovers.

The Wolfpack will be back in action on Wednesday night when they play against rival UNC in Chapel Hill at 7 PM on ESPN.