NC State learned on Wednesday night that he can play as well as any team in the ACC, and that nothing is going to be easy, especially not against a team like Virginia. It was a disturbing struggle all along, but the group that was better most of the night – and it was definitely a state – carried the day.
You can’t underline a quick start in Charlottesville, and the NC State started this one like a dream and defended UVA defensively while hitting a high percentage offensively. The Pack had a double-digit lead for a good portion of the first half, though UVA fought back – of course UVA would fight back.
After giving the Wahoos a 24-10 lead at 25-21, NC State scored the next four points with some great finishes from DJ Funderburk and Manny Bates; State’s lead at halftime was 29-23.
Virginia’s fight to shoot the ball evaporated early in the second half, and Jericole Hellems lost Sam Hauser twice in the corner, leading to UVA buckets.
Virginia finally took a two-point lead at 14:30, but given the course of the game it never felt like it was a dramatic turning point in the game. States score the next eight points to regain control and will never give up the lead again.
Against good teams, it’s going to take both points, and States have made an excellent effort on both. The early hot shot sustained the offense and created room for error, while the defense did nothing to help UVA as it struggled off the field.
The Pack’s defensive effort was striking, with the good possessions outweighing the bad ones. Kihei Clark is mostly made useless at the point, and when the state realizes this, it has become an easier problem to defend the Cavs as Clark more often tries to bake up the perimeter.
UVA finished just 7-25 out of three, and there will always be luck in a number like that, but the state has contested many of the shots, and it matters. Sam Hauser only woke up in the second half; Jay Huff was just 1-6 out of three.
From start to finish, the constant theme was NC State’s freshmen. Cam Hayes hit from behind to three early in the first half to get the Pack settled. Shakeel Moore comes off the bench and makes an almost immediate impact with several highlights. It becomes the norm for him. Dereon Seabron had some solid plays on the offensive line, but was a crucial part of the defense tonight.
It’s a really good win, so let’s go drink ice cream.