OBSERVATIONS FROM THE GAME: Penn State
NC State avoids a three-game losing skid by rallying to knock off Penn State 85-78 at PNC Arena in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The Wolfpack improves to 6-2 on the season.
The Nittany Lions jumped out to an 11-0 lead to start the contest but the Wolfpack took control afterwards. NC State was led by Omer Yurtseven’s 19 points and 11 rebounds while Allerik Freeman chipped in 17. Two other players, Sam Hunt and Lennard Freeman, finished in double-figures scoring with 14 and 10 points respectively.
HIGHLIGHTS
It might appear Torin Dorn Jr. had a pedestrian effort at first glance but his statline shows some personal bests. While he only scored six points, Dorn finished with a career-high in rebounds (12) and blocked shots (three), although NC State head coach Kevin Keatts quipped afterwards that me did not see any blocked shots and may have to review the film.
* Penn State is a team with some size. Dorn’s effort helped the Wolfpack keep the rebounding deficit more narrow (43-35 overall, 20-13 offensively, both in favor of the Nittany Lions) than it might normally be. He has a propensity to drift towards to hoop when things are not happening on his side of the floor and NC State needs him to provide production when he does.
* If Omer Yurtseven continues to both play as well as he has recently and come into the game as a reserve then expect NC State to win the battle of Bench Points on a regular basis.
* The Wolfpack reserves outscored their Penn State counterparts 39-9 in the game Wednesday.
* NC State lost the battle of Fast Break Points (15-5) but still managed to score 85 points. While it should be somewhat troubling that the Wolfpack was unable to move as quickly as Keatts would like, the good news is the Pack still found ways to put the ball in the hoop sans an advantage in fast break or second chance scoring.
* What the Wolfpack did do well was shoot from behind the arch. NC State made 10-of-16 threes (5-of-8 in each half).
* It is unreasonable to expect the Pack to make over 62 percent of its three-point attempts in every game but NC State did finally drill some trifecta and shot a more manageable amount of times from deep.
LOWLIGHTS
Free Throw Shooting was a little ugly for NC State. The Wolfpack made 25-of-37 (67.6 percent) attempts from the charity stripe.
Not drastically poor but State will want to do better. The goal should be 75-to-80 percent.
* NC State started slow once again. Trailing by 11 points without having scored a point over five minutes into the game is a cause for concern.
* From a Wolfpack perspective this is redundant and it has got to stop. NC State cannot afford to dig itself holes early in games, and it has happened often this season at home.
The competition will get tougher at the end of December.
PACK +/-
+/- is the points scored by a team minus the points allowed by a team while a certain player is on the floor.
Sam Hunt: +18
Lennard Freeman: +15
Allerik Freeman: +7
Lavar Batts Jr.: +5
Omer Yurtseven: +4
Braxton Beverly:+2
Torin Dorn Jr. -4
Markell Johnson: -12
STAT OF THE GAME
Omer Yurtseven: 19 points (6-7 FG, 3-3 three-point field goal, 4-4 free throw), 11 rebounds
QUOTE OF THE GAME
“We’re not very deep. I feel good that we can go to the bench to contribute. Obviously, Omer (Yurtseven) has played like a starter, but I don’t want to lose that fire power from him coming off the bench. (I’m) not saying that he won’t start, but certainly he’s been a great lift off the bench.
“Sam (Hunt) hadn’t played well the last couple games, and give him credit. He played well this game, and he made shots when he came off. I thought Lavar (Batts, Jr.) came in with great energy (and) kind of turned the game around a little bit, but I’m excited about the guys who came off the bench.” -- NC State head coach Kevin Keatts