Hungry like the Wolfpack: NC State Wolfpack dismantles UNC 58-46
There is trouble a brewing in Chapel Hill.
When Roy Williams chastised the fan base for a lack of enthusiasm after a recent home game against Georgia Tech, I like most Wolfpackers was suspicious. Yeah, the wine & cheese crowd is a reality…but its also nothing new. I thought it was simply a clever ruse on the part of Williams to motivate Tarheel faithful for the upcoming NC State game.
After watching Mark Gottfried’s Wolfpack team whip the Tarheels last night, I’m not sure what to think. Even though the Pack did not shoot particularly well (35%), they still outplayed UNC in almost every phase for most of the game. My gut reaction is that the Tarheel basketball team has some real deficiencies and that they are overrated. I also think pound for pound, NC State Wolfpack just may have the better talent going eight or nine deep. I know…I can’t believe I just said that, but for once since the Norm Sloan and Jim Valvano era, it’s probably true. If only TJ Warren had stayed…oy vey.
NC State (17-11, 8-7) defeated #15 North Carolina (19-9, 9-6) 58-46 at the Dean E. Smith Center in front of 21,750 stunned Tarheels. After taking a 2-0 lead, UNC went on a 3 1/2 minute scoring drought that would doom them for the rest of the game. The Pack took an early 4 point lead at 8-4 on a BeeJay Anya dunk off a feed from junior guard Trevor Lacey. By the 8 minute mark of the first half, NC State would lead 16 -10 after an Anthony “Cat” Barber lay up.
The Wolfpack dominated the boards early and often. Gottfried’s game plan seemed to be to milk the clock on each possession and to aggressively penetrate for easy points in the paint. The strategy paid dividends as the Pack out-rebounded UNC and grabbed 13 offensive rebounds while scoring at will inside.
At 6:30 in the first half, the Pack took complete control of the game when Lacey was fouled by Nate Britt on a long 3 point attempt. The look on Williams’ face was priceless. Lacey hit all three free throws and the Wolfpack enjoyed its largest lead of the games at 21-12. NC State would continue to play solid defense and smart basketball as they ended the half with a 29-18 lead. In fact, the lead could have been more if Anya, who had the ball in the lane, had some clock awareness and put the ball up as time expired.
Feb 24, 2015; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Trevor Lacey. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
HALFTIME: NC State 29 – North Carolina 18
MORE OF THE SAME
The second half began like the first as North Carolina opened with another 3 minute drought giving the Wolfpack their largest lead at 16 points (34-18). Finally, at the 15:02 mark, UNC got its first transition bucket by freshman Justin Jackson to cut the State lead to 36-24. THAT basket would ignite the Tarheels to go on 14-2 run to cut the lead to 4 points at 36-32. The tide had turned as UNC’s transition game that was so effectively shut down in the first half was now a major problem.
Fortunately, the Tarheels would get no closer than 4 points as NC State was able to weather the storm and play hard-nosed defensive basketball. Though Carolina had shored up its own interior defense and rebounded better, the Pack answered the bell every time UNC got close.
With 2:32 to play NC State had possession and a 50-46 lead. From this point forward the Pack did most everything right. After milking the clock, the Pack’s Lennard Freeman drew a foul and hit one of two free throws. Conversely, UNC could do nothing to help them close the gap further. A bad UNC turnover by Marcus Paige led to a Trevor Lacey lay up and foul. He nailed the free throw for a 54-46 lead. After another dreadful turnover , this time by Kennedy Meeks, the Pack had the ball again with 1:14. The exceptional ball handling of guards Cat Barber, Lacey, Ralston Turner and Desmond Lee proved to be the remedy for any pressure Carolina attempted to apply during the final minutes. Two free throws later and the Wolfpack lead by an amazing 10 points at 56-46. Several more bricks by UNC and additional free throws by the Wolfpack, Gottfried’s team had managed to orchestrate an 8-0 run to finish the game and pick up their 17th win of the season.
FINAL: NC State 58 – North Carolina 46
Feb 24, 2015; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack forward Beejay Anya (21) and guard Trevor Lacey. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Trevor Lacey – 14 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block
Ralston Turner – 14 points, 5 rebounds
Lennard Freeman- 3 points, 4 rebounds
Abdul-Malik Abu- 2 points, 6 rebounds
Anthony “Cat” Barber- 15 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists
BeeJay Anya- 5 points, 6 rebounds, 6 blocks
Notables:
- NC State had only nine turnovers
- NC State out-rebounded UNC 41-38
- NC State had 7 blocked shots
- UNC’s only lead was at 2-0
- UNC was held to its lowest halftime output this season (18pts)
- 46 points were the fewest ever scored by a UNC team in the Smith Center
- UNC’s Marcus Paige only took one (1) first half shot
- UNC had zero transition points in the first half
- First Wolfpack win in Chapel Hill since 2003
NEXT UP: at Boston College
February 28, 2015 @ 12:00pm
TV: ACC Network