iStock_000083515123_Full.jpg

BASKETBALL

NC State To Host Lipscomb For The NIT Quarterfinals

On Wednesday night in North Carolina’s state capital NC State who is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference will host Lipscomb who is a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference for the National Invitational Tournament Quarterfinals.

NC State comes into the game with a record of 24-11 while Lipscomb comes into the game with a record of 27-7.

As for NC State’s previous game, they topped Harvard.

The NC State men's basketball team defeated Harvard 78-77 Sunday night at James T. Valvano Arena at Reynolds Coliseum. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2019/3/24/mens-basketball-pack-downs-harvard-78-77-advances-to-nit-quarterfinals.aspx

The win advances the Pack to the NIT quarterfinals where it will meet Lipscomb on Wednesday evening. The game is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. inside Reynolds Coliseum. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2019/3/24/mens-basketball-pack-downs-harvard-78-77-advances-to-nit-quarterfinals.aspx

Displaying a balanced scoring attack, NC State had five players record double digits. C.J. Bryce and Devon Daniels led the way with 16 and 14 points respectively. Markell Johnson (13), Braxton Beverly (10), and Torin Dorn (10) rounded out double-figure scoring. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2019/3/24/mens-basketball-pack-downs-harvard-78-77-advances-to-nit-quarterfinals.aspx
 
With the Pack up two in the final seconds, Beverly forced a crucial turnover to give NC State possession. Bryce calmly knocked down two free throws after being fouled to give the Pack a four point lead with 7.1 seconds to play. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2019/3/24/mens-basketball-pack-downs-harvard-78-77-advances-to-nit-quarterfinals.aspx
 
Rio Haskett's banked-in a running three-pointer to pull the Crimson within one with 2.5 seconds remaining, but on the ensuing in-bounds play Harvard could not reach Johnson to foul him and he was able to dribble the clock out. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2019/3/24/mens-basketball-pack-downs-harvard-78-77-advances-to-nit-quarterfinals.aspx
 
NC State's defensive prowess proved the deciding factor in the contest, as NC State created 23 points on 17 Harvard turnovers. Tying its season low in the turnover category, the Pack took care of the ball, recording only seven turnovers. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2019/3/24/mens-basketball-pack-downs-harvard-78-77-advances-to-nit-quarterfinals.aspx
 
Attacking the glass in the second half after being outrebounded 20-11 in the first half, NC State earned 14 second-chance points on 13 offensive boards in the final 20 minutes. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2019/3/24/mens-basketball-pack-downs-harvard-78-77-advances-to-nit-quarterfinals.aspx
 
The game was tied at 61 with 8:53 to go, but the Pack scored seven of the next nine points to take a 68-63 lead on a Daniels lay-up with 5:15. Harvard would cut the lead to one point multiple times in the final minutes, but could never even the score again.”according to https://gopack.com/news/2019/3/24/mens-basketball-pack-downs-harvard-78-77-advances-to-nit-quarterfinals.aspx
 
Beverly led the way for the team in the second half, scoring all 10 of his points in the final 20 minutes. After sitting out all but five minutes in the first half with two fouls, Johnson came alive in the second half with eight points in the first four and a half minutes.”according to https://gopack.com/news/2019/3/24/mens-basketball-pack-downs-harvard-78-77-advances-to-nit-quarterfinals.aspx
 
Harvard held a 39-38 lead at the break, but never led by more than two points in the second half as a majority of the final 20 minutes was played with the score at a one possession game. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2019/3/24/mens-basketball-pack-downs-harvard-78-77-advances-to-nit-quarterfinals.aspx

The game ended with 15 lead changes and nine ties.  “according to https://gopack.com/news/2019/3/24/mens-basketball-pack-downs-harvard-78-77-advances-to-nit-quarterfinals.aspx
 
Noah Kirkwood and Bryce Aiken recorded 19 points to lead the Crimson in scoring.”according to https://gopack.com/news/2019/3/24/mens-basketball-pack-downs-harvard-78-77-advances-to-nit-quarterfinals.aspx

Like NC State, Lipscomb won their previous game but unlike NC State they won by a big margin against UNCG.

The Lipscomb men’s basketball team needed a second-half comeback to keep its season alive Tuesday at Davidson. The script on Saturday in Greensboro, North Carolina was much different. “according to http://www.lipscombsports.com/mbasketball/news/2018-19/15900/bisons-throttle-uncg-to-advance-to-quarterfinals-of-nit/

The Bisons turned a one-point deficit late in the first half into a convincing 86-69 beat down of top-seeded UNCG in second-round action of the NIT at the Greensboro Coliseum. “according to http://www.lipscombsports.com/mbasketball/news/2018-19/15900/bisons-throttle-uncg-to-advance-to-quarterfinals-of-nit/

“I thought it was a high-level game,” Lipscomb head coach Casey Alexander said. “And I felt like the first half really showed that. Two good teams, kind of blow-for-blow and a lot of excitement and a lot of good plays. But when we got the margin, it changed a little bit.” “according to http://www.lipscombsports.com/mbasketball/news/2018-19/15900/bisons-throttle-uncg-to-advance-to-quarterfinals-of-nit/

With the win Lipscomb advances to the quarterfinals of the NIT and will face the winner of No. 2 NC State and No. 6 Harvard next week for the right to take a trip to New York City. “according to http://www.lipscombsports.com/mbasketball/news/2018-19/15900/bisons-throttle-uncg-to-advance-to-quarterfinals-of-nit/

It is the farthest any ASUN Conference team has advanced in the NIT since 1987 and the 17-point victory is the largest in the history of the tournament for the ASUN. “according to http://www.lipscombsports.com/mbasketball/news/2018-19/15900/bisons-throttle-uncg-to-advance-to-quarterfinals-of-nit/

Lipscomb outshot the Spartans .525 to .391 from the field overall, and knocked down .364 percent of its shots from 3-point range. The Bisons went 8-of-22 from deep and held UNCG to just a 5-of-28 (.179) effort on the afternoon. It marked the 25th time this season they tallied at least eight triples in a game.”according to http://www.lipscombsports.com/mbasketball/news/2018-19/15900/bisons-throttle-uncg-to-advance-to-quarterfinals-of-nit/

Seniors Rob Marberry and Garrison Mathews were a 2-man wrecking crew as the duo combined for 45 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists. “according to http://www.lipscombsports.com/mbasketball/news/2018-19/15900/bisons-throttle-uncg-to-advance-to-quarterfinals-of-nit/

After missing his first shot of the game less than two minutes in, Marberry dominated the rest of the game. He did not miss a shot the rest of the way as he finished 12-of-13 for a team-high 24 points, most of which came against the SoCon’s 2018 Defensive Player of the Year James Dickey. “according to http://www.lipscombsports.com/mbasketball/news/2018-19/15900/bisons-throttle-uncg-to-advance-to-quarterfinals-of-nit/

The first 17 minutes saw the teams go blow for blow with neither side leading by more than two possessions as UNCG held a 30-29 lead. From that moment forward it was all purple and gold. “according to http://www.lipscombsports.com/mbasketball/news/2018-19/15900/bisons-throttle-uncg-to-advance-to-quarterfinals-of-nit/

Marberry deposited back-to-back buckets, slammed a two-handed jam and assisted on the last make of the half off a long rebound that saw him feed fellow senior Nate Moran streaking down court behind the Spartans defense for the easy lay-in. A 10-2 run to end the half sent the Bisons into the locker room up 43-35.”according to http://www.lipscombsports.com/mbasketball/news/2018-19/15900/bisons-throttle-uncg-to-advance-to-quarterfinals-of-nit/

The second half saw Lipscomb and Marberry pick up right where they left off in the first. Marberry scored on three straight trips down the floor in the first two minutes to grow the lead to 14 and force UNCG to call a timeout.  “according to http://www.lipscombsports.com/mbasketball/news/2018-19/15900/bisons-throttle-uncg-to-advance-to-quarterfinals-of-nit/

In front of a hostile crowd of 4,248 the Spartans tried to cut into the deficit, but they would never get any closer than 12 the rest of the way as they were simply outmatched. “according to http://www.lipscombsports.com/mbasketball/news/2018-19/15900/bisons-throttle-uncg-to-advance-to-quarterfinals-of-nit/

Mathews came up clutch with his second double-double of the season and the ninth of his career with 21 points and a season-high 11 rebounds. He drained three treys and finished a perfect 8-for-8 from the line.”according to http://www.lipscombsports.com/mbasketball/news/2018-19/15900/bisons-throttle-uncg-to-advance-to-quarterfinals-of-nit/

With 7:41 remaining in the contest, Marberry found a cutting Andrew Fleming in the lane for a wide-open layup to give Lipscomb a 29-point lead, its largest of the day, at 84-55. “according to http://www.lipscombsports.com/mbasketball/news/2018-19/15900/bisons-throttle-uncg-to-advance-to-quarterfinals-of-nit/

The Bisons controlled the boards 41-27 and recorded their 11th game of the season with 20 assists. They shot .500 from the floor in the second half and cruised to their 13th road victory of the year. “according to http://www.lipscombsports.com/mbasketball/news/2018-19/15900/bisons-throttle-uncg-to-advance-to-quarterfinals-of-nit/

“Any time that we can get a bunch of assists like that and get the ball moving, it really helps our offense, gets the defense on their heels a lot of the time,” Mathews said. “We’ve played against a few really good defensive teams, and the way we beat them is passing the ball really quickly and crisply. “according to http://www.lipscombsports.com/mbasketball/news/2018-19/15900/bisons-throttle-uncg-to-advance-to-quarterfinals-of-nit/

The deciding stretch of the game covered a nearly 21-minute period that went from the last 8:30 of the first half through the first 12:20 of the second half, where Lipscomb shot 81 percent from the floor converting on 25-of-31 field goal attempts. “according to http://www.lipscombsports.com/mbasketball/news/2018-19/15900/bisons-throttle-uncg-to-advance-to-quarterfinals-of-nit/

After being the first team left out of the 68-team NCAA Tournament field, UNCG earned the top overall seed in the NIT. The Spartans finished the year 29-7, their winningest season in program history. “according to http://www.lipscombsports.com/mbasketball/news/2018-19/15900/bisons-throttle-uncg-to-advance-to-quarterfinals-of-nit/

The defeat was just their second at home this season in 17 tries. The only other loss came on January 10 at the hands of the SoCon champion Wofford Terriers, who earned a No. 7 seed in March Madness. “according to http://www.lipscombsports.com/mbasketball/news/2018-19/15900/bisons-throttle-uncg-to-advance-to-quarterfinals-of-nit/

Senior Francis Alonso led all players with 27 points on 7-of-16 shooting. He hit three triples and went 10-of-12 from the charity stripe. “according to http://www.lipscombsports.com/mbasketball/news/2018-19/15900/bisons-throttle-uncg-to-advance-to-quarterfinals-of-nit/

2019 SoCon Defensive Player of the Year Isaiah Miller added 21 points and four rebounds. “according to http://www.lipscombsports.com/mbasketball/news/2018-19/15900/bisons-throttle-uncg-to-advance-to-quarterfinals-of-nit/

“Obviously we did not expect it to go that way,” Alexander said. “We expected to win, but we have great respect for their team and what they’ve done and how good they are. We know that if we tipped it up again, we’d be starting all over with a fifty-fifty chance to win or lose. “according to http://www.lipscombsports.com/mbasketball/news/2018-19/15900/bisons-throttle-uncg-to-advance-to-quarterfinals-of-nit/

“Because of that, I think it is appropriate for me to give credit to our players for what I thought was a really good 40 minutes.” “according to http://www.lipscombsports.com/mbasketball/news/2018-19/15900/bisons-throttle-uncg-to-advance-to-quarterfinals-of-nit/

Tip-off is set for 9:00pm from Reynolds Coliseum.