The NC State Wolfpack was defeated by the Cincinnati Bearcats 76-60.
So much for the break NC State (10-4, 1-0) seemed to have caught when they faced Cincinnati (9-3) on Tuesday. The NC State Wolfpack faced a team playing its third consecutive game without head coach Mick Cronin at the helm, appeared poised to take advantage and snag a win. A win that could surely help make up for the dumbfounding loss to Wofford. However, as Mike Tyson once said, “Everyone has a plan ’til they get punched in the mouth.” The Bearcats came to Raleigh and bludgeoned the Wolfpack.
New Faces, Old Ways
Cincinnati’s aggressive style of play was reminiscent of former coach Bob Huggins and the way his current West Virginia team had their way with the Wolfpack just two weeks ago (83-69). Call me crazy, but I actually thought the West Virginia loss would help to prepare the Pack for the Bearcats. (Sigh) I defer back to the Mike Tyson quote.
The numbers do not lie.
Cincinnati shot 54 percent from the field (61 percent in the second half) and led NC State 41-26 at halftime. In NC State’s game against Louisiana Tech seven days earlier, the Pack also suffered a 15 point halftime deficit (39-24) and in the game before that, trailed West Virginia by nine. Awful first half shooting and turnovers have created insurmountable challenges to overcome for a team as youthful as the Wolfpack. Cincinnati eventually pushed the lead to 19 points and never let up as the Wolfpack never got closer than 10 to threaten the lead.
NC State Wolfpack Needs Focus
Clearly frustrated, Wolfpack head coach Mark Gottfried said about his team, ”We’ve got some guys that need to understand it’s a privilege to put the uniform on, it’s a privilege to walk out there in front of 17,000 fans. You cannot walk out there casually and expect to be a really good basketball player or a good basketball team.”
Dec 30, 2014; Raleigh, NC, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Trevor Lacey (1) drives around Cincinnati Bearcats guard Kevin Johnson (25) during the first half at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports
The Bearcats had three players in double figures: Octavious Ellis (11) , Shaq Thomas (15) , Troy Caupain (13)
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NOTABLE:
- N.C. State was 0 for 5 from 3-point range. Equally surprising is the fact that only 5 threes were attempted.
- Cincinnati led for 37 minutes and 16 seconds
- NC State led for only 31 seconds
QUICK STATS:
Trevor Lacey- 6 points, 1 rebounds, 2 assists
Ralston Turner – 5 points, 2 rebounds
Cat Barber – 15 points, 2 assists
BeeJay Anya – 6 points, 3 rebounds, 1 blocked shots
Abdul-Mailk Abu- 9 points, 5 rebounds
Kyle Washington- 10 points, 6 rebounds
Attendance: 16,980
NEXT UP: Pittsburgh (10-3, 0-0)
When: Saturday, January 3, 2015 @ PNC Arena in Raleigh, NC at 12:00pm
TV: ACC Network, ESPN3
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