#25 Missouri 68 – NC State 64
Box Score

Mark Gottfried Postgame Audio

TJ Warren finished with 24 points and  13 boards while  Dez Lee added 12, but it wasn’t enough as Missouri’s dynamic duo, Jordan Clarkson and Jabari Brown combined for 38 points in Missouri’s 68-64 come from behind victory.

The Wolfpack seemingly controlled this entire game until Missouri reeled off an 11-1 run late in the second half. While State led throughout this one, Missouri never let the game get away from them. They stayed within striking distance the whole game and finally broke through with 6 minutes left, when Jabari Brown buried a 3 to finally tie the game. From there it was back and forth until Brown knocked down another 3 with less than a minute to go followed by Cat Barber missing the front end of a one and one. After 2 Jordan Clarkson free throws and a poor shot by Ralston Turner, the win was sealed for Missouri.

Let’s take a deeper look into why NC State fell apart in this one:

– TJ Warren finished with 24 points and 13 boards, but he didn’t score over the final 12 minutes. That was the decider in this one. When Warren isn’t scoring, NC State state struggles to put up points. It seemed as if TJ was either a little tired, or just settling for jumpers, but he wasn’t working to get easy buckets like he was in the first half. Also, credit Missouri for making things really tough on him in those final 12 minutes.

– 57% from the FT line. That’s pretty much unacceptable. I know these guys work on free throws every practice after sprints to mimic the fatigue they feel during a game, so I’m not really sure what this was all about. Guys you wouldn’t expect to knock them down, like Tyler Lewis and TJ Warren, missed them. Cat Barber missed a very crucial one and one down the stretch that really hurt NC State.

– Speaking of Cat Barber, he had his worst game as a college player. I think he was thrown off a bit after he got 2 quick fouls and sat almost the whole first half. It really took  him out of rhythm and he just didn’t look like himself. He did finish with 6 points and 6 assists, but he just wasn’t very aggressive and he struggled shooting the basketball where he was only 2-11.

– This team has trouble with the zone. Missouri is the first team NC State has faced that has been big, strong, quick and also sat back in a zone. State struggled against the zone early in the season, but lately has played better against it. Missouri, however, was able to stop dribble penetration and limit passes to the interior of the zone. This made the Pack settle for a lot of 3s,  and that is not their strong suit. State shot only 28% from 3 point range. TJ Warren hurt the Pack here, going only 1-7 from beyond the arc.

Even though this was a loss for the Pack, it’s good to remember that this is a young team that is still learning. Every game is a learning experience. With that said,  let’s take a look at some ‘bright spots’ from the game:

– Dez Lee had an amazing first half. Lee scored 10 of his 12 points in the first half and was all over the floor. He was hitting 3s, finishing on the break and really holding down Jabari Brown on the defensive end. In the second half Lee sort of disappeared. He wasn’t as aggressive and didn’t really force the issue. Lee is still new to this level and is doing his best to fit into his role. I think a more aggressive Lee makes NC State a much better basketball team. Dez needs to step up a little more and take control when things get rough. He’s got that kind of talent.

– Kyle Washington broke out. I think we finally got a taste of why K.Wash was being so heavily recruited by schools like Florida and Ohio State. He was in the zone in this one, scoring 10 points, all in the 2nd half. Washington flashed a nice midrange jumper and a soft lefty hook. He also flashed some serious confidence and passion down the stretch. Remember, this kid is still a freshman who is coming into his own. Seeing him have a game like this is a huge plus going forward for the Pack.

– Overall, NC State played really well against Missouri. This was the #25 team in the nation and the Wolfpack could have easily walked away with a victory. I think this was a great learning experience for this young team and it will certainly help them going forward. Missouri has some of the best guards the Pack will see all season and they held their ground. State was pretty dominant for the first 30 minutes of this game, they just need to learn how to step on a team’s throat when they have them down.