OBSERVATIONS FROM THE GAME: Pittsburgh
NC State led Pittsburgh 17-6 with 14:10 remaining in the first half. After the Panters went on a run, the Wolfpack would not lead for 31 minutes of game action.
Fortunately for NC State there was just enough time left. When the clock struck zero, the Pack had its first road win in conference play.
After trailing by as many as 15 following the evaporation of an 11-point advantage, NC State rallied and held off Pittsburgh, 72-68, at Petersen Events Center to improve to 14-7 overall and 4-4 in ACC play.
The Panthers dropped to 8-13 on the season and 0-8 in conference with the defeat.
This season has been rough for schools in road environments. NC State struggled mightily but ultimately picked up a much-needed win away from PNC Arena with a Saturday trip to Chapel Hill to take on No. 10 North Carolina looming.
HIGHLIGHTS
Omer Yurtseven finished with 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the floor. The only thing that stunted his effort was foul woes in the first half and a quick third foul almost immediately after halftime.
At the current point in the season, NC State has struggled to score inside with anyone other than Yurtseven sans some early season production from Torin Dorn Jr. and Lennard Freeman.
The Wolfpack will need its starting center to avoid needless transgressions, such as reaching over for offensive rebounds in a manner that draws over-the-back calls. In that scenario, State would be better off simply yielding the rebound and retreating to play defense.
*NC State benefits from the presence of Markell Johnson in the lineup. He has started the last two games and has 26 assists over the span, including 12 against the Panthers in the Wolfpack’s win.
* Torin Dorn struggled from the floor, as did most of the team, but he came through late for the Pack. In the final 9:35 of the contest, Dorn was 4-of-6 from the floor, made both of his free throw attempts, hauled in four rebounds (two offensive) and blocked two shots.
Simply put, Dorn did not let his subpar play impact him late. His jumper with 17 seconds remaining gave NC State a four-point lead and gave the Wolfpack leverage to not have to chase more points.
* The victory was sealed when Allerik Freeman sank two free throws with eight seconds left. NC State made all 15 of its free throw attempts, a stark contrast from its poor shooting from the field.
* NC State closed the game on a 15-2 run after trailing by nine with six minutes left to play. The Wolfpack played poorly for the most part but when the game was on the line they did enough to pick up the win.
LOWLIGHTS
NC State’s shooting performance was awful. The Wolfpack made only 24-of-71 shot attempts (33.8 percent) from the floor. It was even worse from behind the three-point line. State managed only nine treys on 35 tries (25.7 percent) from behind the arch.
It was remarkable how the Pack continued to hoist long range shots as it was clear the bigger threat was inside. NC State lacks players than can penetrate and finish and when Yurtseven is in foul trouble no other player can produce inside. It then accentuates the Wolfpack’s struggles on three-pointers as it is the easiest shot for the team to get off but the hardest one to make.
Braxton Beverly is the best example of this conundrum. He has the ability to drive but is almost always forced to kick to teammate or simply continue dribbling away when help-side defense converges. He was 3-of-15 from the floor in the game with all but one of his shots coming from three-point range.
* Jared Wilson-Frame finished with a career-high 22 points. He consistently hurt the Wolfpack over the first 24 minutes of the game. To NC State’s credit, he did not score over the remaining 16 minutes, going 0-of-3 from the floor over that span.
* The ACC is the toughest league in the nation. NC State allowed one of its weakest links to outscore them 37-11 over a span of almost 12 minutes. The Wolfpack had enough time to recover, and no game in league play is a given, but when the Pack does have a rare respite in the conference.
PACK +/-
+/- is the points scored by a team minus the points allowed by a team while a certain player is on the floor.
Abdul-Malik Abu: +17
Omer Yurtseven: +14
Torin Dorn Jr.: +12
Braxton Beverly: +11
Markell Johnson: +4
Lavar Batts Jr. : +1
Allerik Freeman: +1
Sam Hunt: -11
Lennard Freeman: -12
STAT OF THE GAME
Pittsburgh first half shooting: 16-of-26 field goals (61.5 percent), 8-of-15 three-point field goals (53.3%)
Pittsburgh second half shooting: 9-of-29 field goals (31 percent), 0-14 three-point field goals (0 percent)
QUOTE OF THE GAME
"What impressed me was these guys were able to stay the course, It was a night where the offense wasn’t going. We couldn’t make shots. We got great, open looks. Obviously, they played a zone. We took 35 threes but the majority of them were open. We couldn’t find a way to make shots.
"I am so proud of these guys. I told them if you stay the course and believe in your defense and what we can do, we will win the game.” -- NC State Head Coach Kevin Keatts