NC State Wolfpack downs Pitt Panthers 68-50

In a must win game for the NC State basketball team, the Wolfpack (11-4, 2-0) defeated the Pittsburgh Panthers (10-4, 0-1) at PNC Arena in front of 16,197 approving fans.  The team and fans alike knew the importance of this game.

The win was pivotal for the Pack as they began the first of a critical 4-game stretch.  In the coming 10 days, NC State will face ACC and national heavyweights Virgina on the road, and the Duke Blue Devils and North Carolina Tar Heels in Raleigh.  The game yesterday was the only one of the four most considered truly winnable.  Though Mark Gottfried and his staff will have the Pack prepared, they will surely be huge underdogs in the upcoming contests.

First Half

Down 6-1 early to the Panthers, NC State went on a 12-0 run to seize the early momentum and never looked back. Senior Ralston Turner nailed a contested 20 foot jumper as the clock expired boosting the Wolfpack lead to 7 points at the half.

Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports

Halftime: NC State Wolfpack 27 – Pitt 20

Similar to the three-headed monster rushing attack for the Wolfpack football team (Tony Creecy, Matt Dayes and Shadrach Thornton), the basketball squad has their own trio in Anthony “Cat Brarber, Trevor Lacey and Ralston Turner.  Yesterday afternoon the three combined for 44 of the team’s 68 points.

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Determined to drive home several points of emphasis, Gottfried shook things up a bit by benching Beejay Anya and  giving Abdul-Malik Abu his first start along with increased playing time for Cody Martin.  The first half saw significant playing time for Martin and his twin brother Caleb on the court together.  With this infusion came increased defensive intensity and energetic play.  This is not to say the previous rotations were all bad because they were not,  however Gottfried recognized a change was needed.  Thus far, it appears to have worked.

Freshman Abu summed up the change with 3 words: “Passion, Fire, Intensity.”

The Wolfpack blocked nine shots, scored 36 points in the paint, had 17 transition points and executed stellar defensive play in holding Pitt to 33 percent shooting from the field.  The Wolfpack bench also contributed 20 points to the winning effort.

The only negative in the game was that the Wolfpack’s achilles heel was again exposed.  The team is offensively challenged when Lacy, Turner and Barber are not scoring.  Coach Gottfried has to find someone who can consistently step up and provide points to compliment the Big Three, otherwise outings like the one against Cincinnati will be commonplace.

QUICK STATS:

• Trevor Lacey-  19 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocked shots
• Ralston Turner – 16 points, 2 rebounds
• Cat Barber –  9 points, 3 assists
• BeeJay Anya –  8 points, 2 rebounds, 3 blocked shots
• Abdul-Mailk Abu-  4 points, 8 rebounds, 1 blocked shot
• Lennard Freeman- 6 points, 9 rebounds

NEXT UP:   @ #3 Virginia (13-0,1-0)

When:  Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Time:  7:00pm

TV:  ESPN 2