NC State Looks To Bounce Back As They Host Virginia Tech In Raleigh

On Saturday twenty third ranked NC State will look to bounce back from their overtime loss earlier in the week to Virginia as they welcome another Virginia team to North Carolina’s state capital in twelfth ranked Virginia Tech who is located in Blacksburg Virginia.

NC State comes into the game with a record of 16-5 while they’re 4-4 in the Atlantic Coast Conference while Virginia Tech comes into the game with a record of 17-3 while they’re 6-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

As for NC State’s previous game,

Although they took Virginia to overtime NC State lost by a narrow margin in North Carolina’s state capital.

The 23rd-ranked NC State men's basketball team fell to third-ranked Virginia in overtime on Tuesday night at PNC Arena, 66-65. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2019/1/29/mens-basketball-wolfpack-falls-to-3rd-ranked-virginia-in-ot-66-65.aspx

With the loss, the Pack drops to 16-5 overall and 4-4 in conference play on the season while Virginia improves to 19-1 and  7-1 in the ACC. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2019/1/29/mens-basketball-wolfpack-falls-to-3rd-ranked-virginia-in-ot-66-65.aspx
 
Markell Johnson led NC State in scoring with 14 points, along with a season-high six rebounds. Torin Dorn (13), Wyatt Walker (11), and Devon Daniels (10) also posted double-digits for the Pack. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2019/1/29/mens-basketball-wolfpack-falls-to-3rd-ranked-virginia-in-ot-66-65.aspx

Virginia held a 27-23 lead at halftime and scored 15 of the first 20 points in the second half to open a 42-28 lead with 12:13 remaining in the game. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2019/1/29/mens-basketball-wolfpack-falls-to-3rd-ranked-virginia-in-ot-66-65.aspx

The Pack responded by holding the Cavaliers to just three points over the next four minutes as the Pack went on a 13-3 run to cut the deficit to four, 45-41, on two Walker free throws with 8:01 left in regulation. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2019/1/29/mens-basketball-wolfpack-falls-to-3rd-ranked-virginia-in-ot-66-65.aspx

Virginia increased the lead back to seven, but the Pack had one last spurt in them as NC State went on a 7-0 run to tie the game at 53 with 1:29 to go in regulation. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2019/1/29/mens-basketball-wolfpack-falls-to-3rd-ranked-virginia-in-ot-66-65.aspx

After a lay-up regained the lead for Virginia, Johnson knocked down two free throws to send the game to overtime. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2019/1/29/mens-basketball-wolfpack-falls-to-3rd-ranked-virginia-in-ot-66-65.aspx

Virginia was held to just four field goals in the final 12 minutes of regulation. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2019/1/29/mens-basketball-wolfpack-falls-to-3rd-ranked-virginia-in-ot-66-65.aspx

Johnson's three-pointer to open overtime gave NC State its first lead of the game, 58-55. The Pack then had a 4:31 stretch without a field goal until a Braxton Beverly bucket with eight seconds left ended the drought. In overtime, Virginia shot 66.7% from the field (2-3), while NC State shot only 33.3% (2-6). “according to https://gopack.com/news/2019/1/29/mens-basketball-wolfpack-falls-to-3rd-ranked-virginia-in-ot-66-65.aspx
  
Shooting 32.1% from the floor in the first half, the Wolfpack defense held strong to keep within reach. Virginia's 27 points at half tied for the lowest-scoring first half for the Cavaliers this season. Torin Dorn's jumper off a Braxton Beverly steal would pull the Wolfpack within four at the half, 27-23. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2019/1/29/mens-basketball-wolfpack-falls-to-3rd-ranked-virginia-in-ot-66-65.aspx
 
NC State trailed early, as Virginia shot 77.8% from the field in the first 10 minutes of the game, but the Pack's defense made enough stops to keep the game close as the Pack shot just 32.1 percent from the field in the first half. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2019/1/29/mens-basketball-wolfpack-falls-to-3rd-ranked-virginia-in-ot-66-65.aspx

Unlike NC State, Virginia Tech won their previous game as they won on road in Coral Gables Florida where they beat Miami.

In one of his most impressive performances to date, sophomore Nickeil Alexander-Walker went off to lead No. 12/11 Virginia Tech's men's basketball team to an 82-70 win over Miami (Fla.) at Watsco Center on Wednesday night. “according to https://hokiesports.com/news/2019/1/30/mens-basketball-alexander-walker-leads-no-12-11-hokies-in-82-70-victory-over-miami-fla.aspx

The guard filled up his stat line with tying a season-high 25 points, four rebounds, five assists and a career-high six steals, leading the Hokies (17-3, 6-2 ACC) to their sixth win in the month of January. Chris Lykes led the way for the Hurricanes (9-11, 1-7), posting a team-high 19 points and four assists. “according to https://hokiesports.com/news/2019/1/30/mens-basketball-alexander-walker-leads-no-12-11-hokies-in-82-70-victory-over-miami-fla.aspx

Alexander-Walker got Tech started in the early going, scoring nine of Tech's first 13 points to give it a one-point lead at 13-12 the first 10 minutes of play. Miami's Anthony Lawrence made a layup to give the Hurricanes their biggest lead of the game at three, 18-15, but the Hokies responded with a 10-0 run behind Alexander-Walker and senior Justin Robinson scoring five points each to regain the lead it would not relent. “according to https://hokiesports.com/news/2019/1/30/mens-basketball-alexander-walker-leads-no-12-11-hokies-in-82-70-victory-over-miami-fla.aspx

Graduate student Ty Outlaw hit a 3-pointer and Alexander-Walker made a 15-footer, giving Tech a 34-27 halftime lead. Redshirt sophomore Kerry Blackshear Jr. had eight rebounds in just 10 minutes of action in the first frame. “according to https://hokiesports.com/news/2019/1/30/mens-basketball-alexander-walker-leads-no-12-11-hokies-in-82-70-victory-over-miami-fla.aspx

The second half began with a hot start for Tech, as graduate student Ahmed Hill connected from downtown out of an inbounds play and on the ensuing possession, Wabissa Bede drilled a 3-pointer to force a Miami timeout not even one minute after intermission. “according to https://hokiesports.com/news/2019/1/30/mens-basketball-alexander-walker-leads-no-12-11-hokies-in-82-70-victory-over-miami-fla.aspx

The Hokies would keep their momentum, as Alexander-Walker swiped a steal at mid-court and slammed it home, followed by a three-point play by Robinson to give them a 15-point advantage (47-32) at the 16:46 mark. “according to https://hokiesports.com/news/2019/1/30/mens-basketball-alexander-walker-leads-no-12-11-hokies-in-82-70-victory-over-miami-fla.aspx

Trailing by as many as 21 points, the 'Canes would start chipping away at the deficit and cut it to 11 twice. But Tech kept its foot on the pedal and would never allow Miami to trim it to single digits behind Outlaw hitting two 3-pointers in the final minutes.  “according to https://hokiesports.com/news/2019/1/30/mens-basketball-alexander-walker-leads-no-12-11-hokies-in-82-70-victory-over-miami-fla.aspx

Tip-off is set for 12:00pm from PNC Arena. The game will be televised on Raycom Sports.