Quick hits and notes from NC State’s 99-71 blowout of Rider in front of an announced crowd of 16,111 at PNC Arena in Raleigh Wednesday night.
Play And Highlight Of The Game
Star freshman point guard Dennis Smith Jr. put on a show by totaling more assists than any Rider player had points (more on that later), but he made the most outstanding play of the game with a thunderous tomahawk dunk early in the second half.
He had been fouled on a dunk attempt during the previous possession by Rider guard Stevie Jordan. Smith even heard his opponent ask the referee where he fouled Smith, insinuating it was a phantom call — and NCSU junior forward Abdul-Malik Abu joked after the game that he agreed with Jordan. Smith sank both free throws, but was frustrated by not converting on the slam and questions over the foul call. So after the Pack allowed a layup on the other end, Smith was sure to leave no doubt on the next possession and head-faked Jordan before rising up in the lane and flushing it with authority.
The dunk was named the No. 2 play on SportsCenter’s nightly Top 10, topped only by the buzzer-beater that pushed Oregon past No. 2 UCLA. If not for the ramifications of that last-second shot, Smith likely would have taken top honors.
Player Of The Game
Smith had his best game of the year while posting a game-high 19 points and a PNC Arena record 16 assists for his first double-double. His dime total broke the previous venue record of 13, set by Lorenzo Brown in 2013, and marked the most at NC State since legend Chris Corchiani Sr. set the school record in 1991 with 20. Smith’s 16 helpers are the fourth-most in program history and the highest single-game total by an ACC player this season.
The Fayetteville Phenom also made a trio of three-pointers, giving him 12 in the last three games on 12-of-18 shooting (66.7 percent). In his first 10 appearances with the Pack, he made just 11 treys. He also has 31 assists in his last three contests while averaging 19.7 points during that stretch.
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Dunk Contest
Smith was not the only Wolfpacker with a nice dunk. Abu had a pair of slams that, in a normal game, would draw notice in either our Play or Highlight of the Game; Smith’s dunk was just that good to overshadow it (unsurprisingly, Abu said in the postgame that he had the best slam).
After taking a Smith pass near the top of the key in the first half, Abu took one dribble before splitting the defense for a powerful slam. On the next possession, he had another dunk. Later in the second half, Abu took a pass from sophomore Maverick Rowan and flushed it for another strong finish.
A third, much more unexpected, candidate entered the dunk contest late in the game. With just over two minutes to go in regulation, Smith missed a jumper, but Rowan crashed in from the wing and posted the surprising putback slam that brought the bench to their feet (he also slapped the backboard on his way down for a rare show of emotion from the shooter). Smith said in the postgame that Rowan’s slam was his favorite.
“That was a shocker,” the rookie noted. “I think it shocked everybody. I seen him gather [the ball] and I thought he was going to catch it, old-man layup or something like that. He put it back two hands, and he slammed the glass.”
Dominant Effort
NC State closed non-conference play with a effort in which the Wolfpack dominated the statistics sheet. The home team shot 55.6 percent from the floor (40-72) to Rider’s 37.3 percent (28-75). The Pack also outscored their foes in the paint 50-38, beat them thoroughly in transition 27-12, and outrebounded the competition 50-35.
NCSU also had seven blocks, notched 26 assists on the 40 buckets, went 13 of 16 at the free-throw line (81.3 percent) and were boosted by 27 points from the bench.
The win gave NC State its sixth in a row heading into conference play, which begins Saturday at Miami. Since the team has been at full strength following the return of rookie center Omer Yurtseven Dec. 15 from suspension, the Pack has averaged 96 points — reaching 99 twice — and enjoyed an average margin of victory of 28.5 points in those games.
Balanced Scoring
Six players reached double-digit points, which tied a season best set against Appalachian State. Smith was joined in the double-double club by Abu (12 points, 12 rebounds), while Yurtseven posted a career-high 16 points in his first college start (and fourth game). Redshirt sophomore Torin Dorn (13), redshirt senior Terry Henderson (12) and Rowan (12) also eclipsed 10 points.
Rookie forward Ted Kapita played with unbelievable hustle and set a career high with 11 rebounds, to go along with seven points. Senior defensive specialist BeeJay Anya chipped in four blocks in his nine minutes off the bench.
For the second time this year, the Pack also threatened to reach triple digits on the scoreboard for the first time since 2004 but fell just short again. The walk-ons came into the game with 1:30 left in the contest and scored four points.
What The Win Means
The Pack moved to 2-0 in its history against Rider; the first meeting was a nine-point win during the 2007 Old Spice Classic in Orlando. They are also 13-3 all time against MAAC teams, including a 99-78 win over Fairfield Dec. 18.
NC State tied the 2012-13 season with its best non-conference mark under sixth-year head coach Mark Gottfried, finishing at 11-2. They have now won six in a row and all nine home games. However, they are still looking for their first road win — at Miami Saturday will be a chance to flip that statistic — and enter ACC play with just four players who have experienced league play before.
Other Stats Of Note
• NC State actually lost the turnover battle, committing 15 to Rider’s 12, but they took advantage of those instances much more. The Pack scored 23 points off opponent miscues, while Rider was able to tally just 12. Both teams had seven steals.
• Each squad had 13 second-chance points despite the Pack’s rebounding advantage.
• After the lead changed three times in the early going, a 15-3 run in the first half put NCSU ahead 28-15. State led for 37:49 and enjoyed as large as a 34-point advantage.
• The Pack has now held its opponent to under 40 percent shooting in each of the last five games.
• NCSU is 81 of 99 (81.8 percent) from the free-throw line in the last four games.
• Since Yurtseven's return, the bench has tallied at least 27 points in each of the four contests.
