NC State proved the lesson it learned in the first half would be carried out in the second.
NCSU surged to what appeared to be a comfortable 28-16 lead with 4:31 left in the first half, only to see it start to evaporate, resulting in a 30-27 halftime lead. The Wolfpack surged to start the second half and built a commanding 49-34 lead with 14:16 left, and this time didn’t succumb to any kind of Syracuse spurts. The Orange were never within less than 11 points during the duration of the game.
“The second half, we just had to turn up the energy because we were up [in the first half], and we let them come back in the game,” NCSU redshirt sophomore center DJ Funderburk said. “Once we kicked that energy back up and started defending in the second half, everything clicked.”
NCSU head coach Kevin Keatts pounded that message home during halftime and the players listened and executed to help the Wolfpack improve to 18-7 overall and 6-6 in the ACC. NC State plays at Duke at 6 p.m. Saturday, where having that "energy and passion" will be needed once again.
“We just needed to come out with more energy [in the second half],” NCSU sophomore guard Braxton Beverly said. “We started the game well with energy and playing hard, and then it died down. We just had to pick each other back up. That was our main focus in the second half.”
Funderburk admitted that losing leads is a trend that needs to discontinue for the Wolfpack.
“Seeing us lose the lead, we always do,” Funderburk said. “We always dig ourself a hole and have to come back and have a dog fight every day.
“It was a blessing to put our foot on their neck in the second half and come out with a win.”
NC State has more ball movement
NC State finished with 19 assists on 24 made field goals, while Syracuse struggled to end up with eight assists on 21 baskets. The Orange eschewed ball movement to go one-on-one, and three of its top scorers shot a collective 6 of 28 from the field in junior wing Tyus Battle, sophomore forward Oshae Brissett and junior Elijah Hughes.
“Being my first time playing Syracuse, it really felt like a pickup game,” Funderburk said. “They go to the three-man weave and see who can get the best shot with the three guards at the top. We really put on a lot of emphasis on ball screen defense and sitting down in front of the player.”
Keatts credited NCSU redshirt sophomore wing Devon Daniels for doing a good job on Syracuse leading scorer Battle, who went 3 of 9 from the field for just seven points. He entered the contest averaging 17.9 points per game.
"I thought Devon Daniels was great," Keatts said. "You look at the numbers by Battle, Devon guarded him all night.
"Our defense is what won the game for us."
The NC State ball movement led to shooting 49 percent from the field and aided in having 24 free throw attempts (making 20).
“They want you to pass it around and take long threes, but luckily we were able to get it to the middle or the short corner,” said Beverly, who hit four three-pointers and finished with a team-high 21 points. “Once you hit two or three, it helps spread it out.”
DJ Funderburk, Torin Dorn find holes in zone
Funderburk might not like playing zones, but he’s good success against them this season.
The 6-foot-10, 210-pounder has the knack of finding the soft spot and uses his soft touch to get buckets, and the Syracuse game was no different. He went 3 of 4 from the field and made all six free throws to finish with 12 points. That performance came on the heels of scoring 14 points against Pittsburgh last Saturday, which also played some zone defense.
NCSU fifth-year senior forward Torin Dorn also worked the middle area of the zone quite effectively to add 16 points and 12 rebounds in the win.
"Any time a team runs a 2-3, the soft spot is the middle and getting it to the corners," Dorn said. "We were able to attack those areas and do a good job at it."
Keatts pointed out that Dorn was able to make several mid-range jumpers against the zone.
"He made the shots most people can't make," Keatts said. "That is a lost art in today's game — 10-foot jump shots and getting it at the free-throw line."
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