My eyes!
NC State had a very slim chance to make the ACC Tournament, starting with winning at Syracuse. Barring a shocking series of events, this ends any possibility of a chance to defend the title.
Game Summary:
Another ugly game in a season of ugly games. There were hardly any positives from this one. Everyone played, few played well.
The first half was NOT a carry-over from the Wake Forest game. Neither offensively, nor defensively. NC State shot 30% / 15.4% while Syracuse shot 50% / 33.3%. Equally troubling is who actually made the shots. The starters were 3-15 (20%) while the bench was 6-15 (40%). The only 3PT shots made were by O’Connell and Parker Jr. McNeil, Styles, and Taylor failed to score. Halftime score, Syracuse 38, NC State 25.
The only thing different in the second half was at about the 10-minute mark, Dontrez Styles starting hitting shots again. Up until that point he had zero points, he then hit 4 3PT shots, 2 2PT shots and a layup for his 17 points. It wasn’t enough. The Wolfpack’s defense was terrible, allowing the Orange to shoot 72.2% in the second half. Final score, Syracuse 74-60.
Overall Takeaways:
- The Pack had another terrible shooting night. 16 more shot attempts than Syracuse, but made 6 fewer shots.
- Rebounding – 11 different NC State players had rebounds, but Syracuse won 38-30 overall
- Zero fast break points
- Syracuse was unstoppable in the paint, outscoring the Wolfpack 46-22 – The Orange’s starting bigs totaled 29 points and 22 rebounds.
Individual Highlights
- Dontrez Styles led scoring with 17, all in the second half
- Huntley-Hatfield led rebounding with 8