NC State Looks To Rebound As They Host Pittsburgh
On Saturday fifteenth ranked NC State will look to rebound from their Atlantic Coast Conference loss earlier in the week when they host Pittsburgh who won their first conference game of the season earlier in the week.
NC State comes into the game with a record of 13-2 1-1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference while Pittsburgh comes into the game with a record of 11-4 1-1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
As for NC State’s previous game, they lost to North Carolina in North Carolina’s state capital.
Braxton Beverly had a career night for the Wolfpack, tallying 21 points on 5-of-7 shooting from three-point range. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2019/1/8/mens-basketball-no-15-wolfpack-falls-to-12th-ranked-tar-heels.aspx
DJ Funderburk added 15 points off-the-bench, while CJ Bryce (13), Torin Dorn (12) and Markell Johnson (11) also reached double figures. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2019/1/8/mens-basketball-no-15-wolfpack-falls-to-12th-ranked-tar-heels.aspx
The game marked the fourth time this season that NC State has had five Pack players post double-digits in the same outing. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2019/1/8/mens-basketball-no-15-wolfpack-falls-to-12th-ranked-tar-heels.aspx
The Pack entered the game second in the ACC - and seventh in the NCAA DI - in rebounding margin, averaging to outrebound its opponents by 10.9 rebounds per game, but the Tar Heels outrebounded the Pack by 18 on Tuesday night. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2019/1/8/mens-basketball-no-15-wolfpack-falls-to-12th-ranked-tar-heels.aspx
Dorn led NC State with 10 rebounds, but UNC had three players reach double figures in rebounding. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2019/1/8/mens-basketball-no-15-wolfpack-falls-to-12th-ranked-tar-heels.aspx
The Pack never led in the game, but twice tied the game in the second half and remained within striking distance of the Tar Heels until the final seconds. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2019/1/8/mens-basketball-no-15-wolfpack-falls-to-12th-ranked-tar-heels.aspx
NC State forced four turnovers in the final minute and half of play to draw within four (82-78), but UNC-Chapel Hill proved steady at the free throw line in the closing minutes and converted all six of its free throw attempts. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2019/1/8/mens-basketball-no-15-wolfpack-falls-to-12th-ranked-tar-heels.aspx
The Pack opened the game by missing its first eight field goal attempts which allowed UNC to run out to a 12-0 lead. The Pack trailed by as many as 14 in the first half, but a 10-0 run helped NC State get back in the game as the Pack went into halftime trailing, 47-42. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2019/1/8/mens-basketball-no-15-wolfpack-falls-to-12th-ranked-tar-heels.aspx
The Pack's bench outscored the Tar Heels' bench 35-0 in the first half with Beverly and Funderburk combining to score 28 points in the opening 20 minutes. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2019/1/8/mens-basketball-no-15-wolfpack-falls-to-12th-ranked-tar-heels.aspx
Unlike NC State, Pittsburgh who has a new head coach in Jeff Capel won their previous game as they topped Louisville in overtime.
Jeff Capel could see it in the faces of his players as the Pittsburgh Panthers surrounded their first-year coach before overtime started on Wednesday night against Louisville. A once seemingly comfortable 13-point lead gone and momentum fully tilted toward the Cardinals, Capel sensed dejection and even worse, doubt. “according to https://pittsburghpanthers.com/news/2019/1/9/mens-basketball-panthers-earn-acc-win-in-overtime-over-louisville.aspx
A chance at ending a long ACC losing streak that the majority of the roster didn't contribute to but nonetheless shouldered slipping away, Capel offered his young team a reminder. Loudly. “according to https://pittsburghpanthers.com/news/2019/1/9/mens-basketball-panthers-earn-acc-win-in-overtime-over-louisville.aspx
"I got on them," Capel said. "I told them we're going to win. Five more minutes." “according to https://pittsburghpanthers.com/news/2019/1/9/mens-basketball-panthers-earn-acc-win-in-overtime-over-louisville.aspx
Then the Panthers did something they hadn't done in 690 days, long before Capel or most of the players in uniform arrived on campus. They responded. Emphatically. “according to https://pittsburghpanthers.com/news/2019/1/9/mens-basketball-panthers-earn-acc-win-in-overtime-over-louisville.aspx
Trey McGowens set a school freshman record by pouring in 33 points, fellow freshman Xavier Johnson added 21 points and 10 assists and Pitt held off Louisville 89-86 for the program's first Atlantic Coast Conference victory in nearly two years. “according to https://pittsburghpanthers.com/news/2019/1/9/mens-basketball-panthers-earn-acc-win-in-overtime-over-louisville.aspx
"It just tells you that we're a good team," Johnson said. "We never stop playing. We always fight. No matter if it's 45 minutes or 40 minutes." “according to https://pittsburghpanthers.com/news/2019/1/9/mens-basketball-panthers-earn-acc-win-in-overtime-over-louisville.aspx
Pitt snapped a 23-game losing streak in ACC regular season play dating back to a win over Florida State on Feb. 18, 2017 when Steven Enoch's hurried 3-point point attempt at the buzzer smacked off the backboard as the Petersen Events Center roared. The Panthers spilled onto the court in a mixture of celebration and relief. “according to https://pittsburghpanthers.com/news/2019/1/9/mens-basketball-panthers-earn-acc-win-in-overtime-over-louisville.aspx
"Last year we had a rough year," said Pitt center Terrell Brown, one of the few holdovers from the group that went 0-19 in the league in 2017-18. "(Now) we got our first win in our second game. It opens the door for everything else." “according to https://pittsburghpanthers.com/news/2019/1/9/mens-basketball-panthers-earn-acc-win-in-overtime-over-louisville.aspx
Johnson shook off early foul trouble to score 17 after the break, including a 3-pointer early in the extra session to answer a 3-pointer by Louisville's Ryan McMahon. “according to https://pittsburghpanthers.com/news/2019/1/9/mens-basketball-panthers-earn-acc-win-in-overtime-over-louisville.aspx
"Just relaxed," Johnson said. "I knew something was going to happen." “according to https://pittsburghpanthers.com/news/2019/1/9/mens-basketball-panthers-earn-acc-win-in-overtime-over-louisville.aspx
Still, the Cardinals had a chance. Louisville missed six shots over the last 90 seconds as its 12-game winning streak over the Panthers ended with a clang. Christen Cunningham led the Cardinals (10-5, 1-1) with 23 points and Enoch chipped in 14 points and seven rebounds, but leading scorer Jordan Nwora finished with just eight points on 2-of-14 shooting and Louisville couldn't seem to keep the explosive Panthers in check. “according to https://pittsburghpanthers.com/news/2019/1/9/mens-basketball-panthers-earn-acc-win-in-overtime-over-louisville.aspx
"The backcourt for Pitt was phenomenal," Louisville coach Chris Mack said. "It's hard to believe those kids should be high school seniors. They're freshmen now, and they had their way with us." “according to https://pittsburghpanthers.com/news/2019/1/9/mens-basketball-panthers-earn-acc-win-in-overtime-over-louisville.aspx
Mack added his team's defense was "deplorable." The Panthers shot 52 percent (32 of 61) from the field, including 61 percent (16 of 26) in the second half to offset a miserable 16 of 33 performance at the foul line that nearly cost them the game. “according to https://pittsburghpanthers.com/news/2019/1/9/mens-basketball-panthers-earn-acc-win-in-overtime-over-louisville.aspx
Dwayne Sutton hit a runner with 26 seconds left to go in regulation to cap a 17-4 run and draw Louisville even for the first time since midway through the first half. Capel opted not to call timeout, but the Panthers were unable to get a shot off in the final seconds of regulation as McGowens lost the handle just before time expired. “according to https://pittsburghpanthers.com/news/2019/1/9/mens-basketball-panthers-earn-acc-win-in-overtime-over-louisville.aspx
No matter, Pitt survived thanks in part to a defense that forced 18 turnovers and the growing confidence of McGowens and Johnson. The two signed with the Panthers days apart last spring and arrived on campus intent on turning the program around.
The Panthers were outclassed during a 25-point loss to North Carolina last Saturday in Capel's ACC debut, one that offered a glimpse of the long road that lies ahead. Still, he reiterated his team is headed in the right direction, and the Panthers proved it against a school in the middle of a rebuilding process of its own. “according to https://pittsburghpanthers.com/news/2019/1/9/mens-basketball-panthers-earn-acc-win-in-overtime-over-louisville.aspx
"It was huge for us," Capel said. "Huge for this program." “according to https://pittsburghpanthers.com/news/2019/1/9/mens-basketball-panthers-earn-acc-win-in-overtime-over-louisville.aspx
Louisville rallied from a halftime deficit to surge past Miami in Mack's conference opener but the Cardinals struggled to get into any rhythm against the Panthers. Louisville trailed by as much 16 and led for less than 5 minutes, compared to more than 34 minutes Pitt. “according to https://pittsburghpanthers.com/news/2019/1/9/mens-basketball-panthers-earn-acc-win-in-overtime-over-louisville.aspx
"Bad night for our team," Mack said. "I thought Jeff's guys were a lot harder playing than our team. I thought maybe the whipping they took over the weekend fueled them. They came out, played a lot harder than we did." “according to https://pittsburghpanthers.com/news/2019/1/9/mens-basketball-panthers-earn-acc-win-in-overtime-over-louisville.aspx
Tip-off is set for 12:00pm from PNC Arena. The game will be televised on Raycom Sports.