The NC State Men's Basketball (14-7, 6-4) moved back into the win column on Tuesday night picking up a 74-68 victory over Miami (14-7, 5-5) inside PNC Arena.
The Hurricanes entered the game leading the ACC in field goal percentage and three-point field goal percentage, but the Pack held Miami to a season-low 36.4 percent shooting and a season-low tying 25 percent from three-point range.
DJ Horne led the way for the Wolfpack with a game-high 24 points, with the NC State's offensive effort being aided by a team-best five assists from
Michael O'Connell.
Jayden Taylor led the way for NC State on the boards, matching his career best with seven rebounds and setting a career-high with three blocks.
Taylor additionally finished in double figures in scoring with 12, while
Casey Morsell contributed 17 points as well highlighted by a 3-for-4 performance from beyond the arc.
The Wolfpack opened and closed the opening frame on a strong note, jumping out to a quick 13-4 lead over the first 6:41 of play with eight of its first ten points coming from Horne. The Pack later ended the half on a 10-4 run that erased a two-point Miami lead en route to carrying a 33-29 advantage into halftime.
An all-around first-half effort from the Pack was sparked by its defense, with NC State forcing Miami into nine turnovers in the first half alone after the Hurricanes committed just eight in its most recent game..
The second frame began much like the first, with the Wolfpack using a quick 7-3 spurt to double its halftime lead and move ahead 40-32 less than four minutes into the half.
While the Hurricanes were able to chip away and knot the score at 48-48, even taking a brief lead at 52-50, the Pack would immediately counter with a 14-5 run to push its lead to seven points, which proved to be an insurmountable deficit for Miami to overcome.
While the Hurricanes brought the score within one possession twice after the Pack took a seven-point lead with five minutes remaining, NC State made all eight of its free-throw attempts in the final five minutes of play, securing its second-straight win over the Hurricanes.
The Hurricanes were led by Nijel Pack who finished with 23 points and Norcahd Omier added 18 points and a game-high 14 rebounds.
NC State returns to PNC Arena on Saturday, Feb. 3, for the second leg of its three-game homestand. The Pack will host Georgia Tech in what will be the only meeting of the regular season between the ACC foes. Tipoff is slated for 5:30 p.m. with the game broadcast on The CW.
https://gopack.com/news/2024/1/31/mens-basketball-defense-and-three-point-shooting-propel-pack-past-miami-74-68