OBSERVATIONS FROM THE GAME: Louisville
Here are some thoughts and observations from No. 21 NC State's 84-77 road loss at No. 23 Louisville.
THREE STARS
| Player | Points | Rebounds | Assists | Misc. Stats |
| Braxton Beverly | 19 points | 1 rebound | 3 assists | 7-11 FGs, 5-8 3FGs |
| CJ Bryce | 15 points | 9 rebounds | 2 assists | 2 steals, 3-6 3FGs |
| Torin Dorn | 18 points | 6 rebounds | 2 assists | 7-17 FGs, 3-5 FTs |
KEY STRETCH
NC State cut the lead to one with 5:22 remaining on a deep three-pointer by C.J. Bryce, but Louisville scored five straight points, including a deep 3-pointer at the end of the shot clock by 6’10” center Steve Enoch to extend the lead back out to six points at 75-69 with 4:18 left in the game.
HIGHLIGHTS
Three-Point Shooting
NC State had been struggling to shoot the basketball from deep but found their stroke against Louisville’s version of the Pack Line defense.
NC State shot 44% from three, drilling 12-of-27 attempts on the game, a +12 advantage in three-point scoring that was critical for the Wolfpack.
Rebounding
NC State was outstanding on the glass, finishing with a +12 overall advantage and +8 edge in offensive rebounding.
What is concerning is that NC State was -3 in second-chance points despite the +8 advantage in offensive rebounding.
Beverly Breaks Out Of Slump
Braxton Beverly hasn’t been able to hit shots since Markell Johnson was sidelined, and he missed his first attempt last night.
However, he started to drill shots and ended up leading the Wolfpack in scoring (19 points) while hitting 5-of-8 3-point attempts.
It is big if he has his confidence back going forward.
LOWLIGHTS
Turnovers
23 turnovers against a non-pressure team? Not good.
NC State was outscored 37-13 in points off turnovers... a +24 advantage.
Ouch.
Fouling
NC State just can’t stop fouling teams.
It continues to be a disturbing trend. Louisville shot 22 more free throws than NC State, which led to a +19 advantage in free throw scoring.
Frankly, that’s the ballgame.
NC State has to defend without fouling and/or find a way to start getting fouled on the other end.
Second-Chance Scoring
Referenced above, NC State, was -3 in second-chance points despite having eight more offensive rebounds than Louisville.
How is that possible? State kept turning the ball over on the additional possessions.
Transition Game
NC State was supposed to be the team that was going to turn defense into offense and thrive in transition on Thursday night.
It didn’t happen.
The Wolfpack forced 15 turnovers but couldn’t get the running game going, totaling just five fastbreak points to nine for the Cards.
PLUS/MINUS
+/- is the points scored by a team minus the points allowed by a team while a certain player is on the floor.
| PLAYER | +/- |
| Wyatt Walker | +8 |
| Jericole Hellems | 0 |
| Braxton Beverly | -2 |
| C.J. Bryce | -3 |
| Eric Lockett | -3 |
| Blake Harris | -6 |
| Devon Daniels | -7 |
| Torin Dorn | -10 |
| DJ Funderburk | -12 |
STAT OF THE GAME
| CATEGORY | NC STATE | LOUISVILLE |
| Turnovers | 23 | 15 |
| Points Off Turnovers | 13 | 37 |
QUOTE OF THE GAME
"When you look down at our turnovers, I thought guys weren't willing passers. We had the opportunity to make some plays, we had the opportunity to hit some open guys, and when we did we were successful. I thought when we dribbled and went one-on-one, that's where our turnovers came from." -- NC State Head Coach Kevin Keatts