Quick hits and notes from NC State’s 81-63 loss at Miami in Coral Gables, Fla.
Play Of The Game
Miami had a comfortable lead for most of the second half, and part of that momentum came when freshman shooting guard Bruce Brown got a steal and it led to a layup from junior point guard Ja’Quan Newton to give Miami a 44-32 lead with 19:25 left in the game. The closest the Wolfpack got in the second half was nine points.
Highlight Of The Game
Dennis Smith made a deep three-pointer and was fouled, but couldn’t make the free throw, and that might have been the highlight for the Wolfpack. Miami freshman shooting guard Bruce Brown skied to block NC State freshman center Omer Yurtseven at the rim to prevent a basket.
Player Of The Game
Flip a coin between Miami senior wing Davon Reed and Newton, who combined for 41 points, but for one slight reason, Reed will be the pick.
NC State tried to play some zone defense and Reed made sure the Wolfpack paid, hence the slight advantage to him. Reed went 7 of 16 from the field and 3 of 9 from three-point land to finish with 20 points, and his offensive prowess also helped lead to NC State fifth-year senior Terry Henderson getting into foul trouble and eventually fouling out with 1:18 left.
When Newton was shaken up and things could have fallen apart for the Hurricanes, the first sequence that occurred was Reed extending Miami’s lead to 57-42 on a three-pointer against the Wolfpack zone defense.
Reed is the epitome of an ACC veteran, as is Newton. The experience of the two former Team Final traveling team products paid off for the Hurricanes. The 20 points for Reed is the second highest he’s had this season, but he’s always a threat to score 15-plus points (which he’s done seven times this season). He has always been a good outside shooter, but his ability to drive keeps defenses honest, and also pick up some fouls on defenders.
NC State Still Learning To Win On Road
NC State entered the game with only two losses, falling to Creighton 112-94 on a neutral court Nov. 20, and at Illinois 88-74 on Nov. 29. The loss to Miami resembled the Illinois loss in some ways.
NCSU head coach Mark Gottfried had said repeatedly that the Wolfpack played rattled against the more experienced Fighting Illini. Illinois was down one point at halftime and shot 68 percent in the second half to pull away.
Miami didn’t have a close game at halftime nor did the Hurricanes shoot lights out in the second half. Miami led 41-32 at halftime and shot 46.9 percent in the second half. Miami has two seniors (Reed and Kamari Murphy) and a junior (Newton) in the starting lineup, and the experience proved the difference against NC State. The Wolfpack also had 15 turnovers, several unforced in the second half.
NC State opens the ACC with three of the first four games on the road, so playing poised will be something the Wolfpack will need to learn in a hurry. The next road test is at North Carolina at 8 p.m. Jan. 7.
What The Loss Means
NC State fell to 11-3 and 0-1 in the ACC, and host Virginia Tech at 9 p.m. Wednesday at PNC Arena. The Hokies topped No. 5-ranked Duke 89-75 on Saturday, and history has shown that a let down occurs the next game after defeating the Blue Devils.
Virginia Tech was down 34-24 at halftime to NC State last year, but rallied back in the second half to eventually win 73-68 in overtime. Seth Allen and Jalen Hudson scored 23 points apiece for Virginia Tech. Allen is back, but Hudson elected to transfer to Florida.
Other Stats Of Note
• Smith scored 16 of his 21 points in the second half, but by the time he started his scoring binge, the damage was done.
• Miami won the battle of the boards 41-33 and in second-chance points 26-12. Where the Hurricanes really made their dent was points in the paint. Newton’s ability to penetrate helped Miami own a 40-16 advantage in the paint.
• Freshman point guard Markell Johnson returned to the court after being suspended for the Rider game Dec. 28. Johnson had three points and three fouls in 12 minutes of action.
• NC State had only two points on the fastbreak, whereas Miami had 13. ACC teams will emphasize getting back on defense and having a second defender challenge drives at the rim.
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