NC State made its big free throws and that was the difference in defeating Boston College 84-78 in overtime in the ACC opener for both teams Saturday in Chestnut Hill, Mass.
NC State improved to 5-2 and host Maryland-Eastern Shore at Reynolds Coliseum on Dec. 6, while the Eagles fell to 5-3 overall.
Shooting proved problematic for Boston College, whether at the free-throw line, where the Eagles went 14 of 26 for 53.6 percent or from three-point range, which was just 6 of 21 for 28.6 percent. With the margin for error low between the teams that proved the difference.
Conversely, NC State went 18 of 21 at the free throw line, plus 8 of 18 on three-pointers. That made up for NC State not getting its usual points on points off turnovers (outscored 19-8 by BC).
Basketball can truly a game of runs at times, and that was the entire theme of the first half.
NC State got the proverbial punch in the chest in the first few minutes, but then worked through senior center D.J. Burns over and over. Burns and senior point guard D.J. Horne powered a 11-0 run to give the Wolfpack a 13-7 lead.
NC State had its lead cut to 19-16 with 8:04 left in the first half, and the Wolfpack responded with a mini 8-0 run to stretch it to 27-16.
Boston College became the team to close the half strong, going on a 12-4 spurt to cut the NC State lead to 36-33 at halftime.
NC State made a concerted effort to play through Burns in the first half, and he had nine points on nine field-goal attempts, and he played 18 of 20 minutes, which is unusual for the 6-9 and listed 275-pounder.
Conversely, normally Boston College plays through senior center Quinten Post, but the 7-footer went 0 of 4 in the first half. Post missed more shots in the first half than he had missed against NC State the last two years in two contests — he went 18 of 21 from the field.
BC also lost wing Claudell Harris to an ankle injury with 5:20 left in the first half. The Charleston Southern transfer had seven quick points to start the game, but he did return after halftime.
BC sophomore power forward Devin McGlockton tried to pick up the void created by Post’s struggles and Harris’ injury. He had nine points and four rebounds in the first half.
Post finally got on the board with 16:21 left, and then made his second basket. Harris capped the 6-0 spurt with a breakaway dunk to cut the NCSU lead to 44-42 with 14:31 left tin the game.
NC State held on to the lead for most of the second half, but BC was always within striking distance. Redshirt freshman Donald Hand Jr. drained a 3-pointer to cut it to 52-51 with 9:03 left to set up a fun finish.
Burns and Horne led NC State down the stretch, and Post came alive in the second half, and he was joined by junior guard Jaeden Zackery.
Post had a strong drive for a dunk and then he hit a fade-away to tie the game at 66-66 with 1:46 left.
Burns hit a nice eight-footer to give the Wolfpack a 68-66 lead, but Zackery drive to tie it, and it led to overtime.
NC State got off to a good start in overtime with reserve power forward Mohamed Diarra getting a block on Post, and then he hits a corner 3-pointer to give the Pack a 71-68 lead. Diarra finished with eight points, 18 rebounds and two blocks in 34 minutes.
The three-point shooting continued with Casey Morsell and Jayden Taylor hitting big ones, and then Horne hit five free throws and Taylor hit two in the final 45 seconds to put it away.
Horne had a game-high 21 points, Taylor had 18 (plus four steals) and Burns added 17.
Zackery led BC with 20 points, Post had 18, seven rebounds and three blocks and McGlockton added 13 points and nine rebounds.
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