Quick hits from NC State's loss to No. 18 Clemson

Quick hits and notes from NC State basketball’s 74-70 overtime loss at No. 18 Clemson inside of Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson, S.C., on Tuesday evening.

NC State led 62-59 when Wolfpack fifth-year senior forward DJ Funderburk missed a midrange jumper with a little less than a minute left. On Clemson's next possession, redshirt sophomore guard Nick Honor made his fifth three-pointer of the game to tie the score with 38.3 seconds left.

That would ultimately force the overtime in which Clemson would prevail by outscoring NC State 12-8.

It wasn't a high-flying dunk but rather some good, old-fashioned hustle that led to a transition three-pointer.

NC State redshirt junior guard Thomas Allen first knocked away the ball from Clemson sophomore guard Alex Hemenway and then dove on the floor to steal it. Allen then passed it to fifth-year senior guard Devon Daniels, who pulled up for a three-pointer to put the Wolfpack up 26-20 with 7:32 left in the first half.

Honor was a smart pickup by Clemson veteran head coach Brad Brownell. As a freshman, the undersized (5-10) shooting guard led Fordham in scoring at 15.3 points per game and made 70 three-pointers while being named to the Atlantic 10 All-Freshman Team. He had a career-high 30 points against Rutgers from the Big Ten.

Honor showed that shooting touch on Tuesday. He made 8 of 11 shots from the field, including 5 of 6 three-pointers, on his way to a game-high 21 points. It is the third time this year Honor has made at least four threes in a game, and it is the third straight contest he has been in double-digits. The 21 points topped the 17 he had in a Clemson win over Purdue for his new season-high.

NC State did not trail in regulation Tuesday after it went into the first media timeout of the game down 8-7 with 15:46 on the first-half clock. Sixteen seconds later fifth-year senior Wolfpack guard Devon Daniels made a three-pointer. Clemson tied it three times after that in the first half, but NC State broke the last one on a three from freshman guard Shakeel Moore to give the Pack a 23-20 edge with 7:56 left in the first half

NC State did not trail and the game was not tied again until Honor's three with 38.6 seconds left. Overall, the Wolfpack led for 34:07 in regulation and 35:14 for the game.

That's nothing new. NC State led for 37:48 out of 40 minutes in its 79-76 home win over UNC on Dec. 22 and for 36:40 in its 79-76 home win over Boston College on Dec. 30.

The final four-point margin in the loss is the most it has trailed in an ACC game this year.

NC State played this game without senior guard Braxton Beverly, who apparently hurt his ankle during pregame warmups. That meant that freshman guard Cam Hayes became the first of the rookies to start a game this season. Hayes had eight points and an assist in 24 minutes but also had three turnovers.

This is also the first game that freshman forward Jaylon Gibson did not play, which meant that head coach Kevin Keatts went just seven deep in his rotation. One of those, freshman wing Dereon Seabron, only played seven minutes out of possible 45 in the overtime contest.

A look at NC State in overtime contests under Keatts:

Here we keep track of the scoring between each official timeout to help give an idea of the game flow:

First half

20:00-15:46: Clemson 8, NC State 7

15:46-11:54: NC State 5, Clemson 2

11:54-7:24: NC State 14, Clemson 10

7:24-4:20: NC State 6, Clemson 6

4:20-Halftime: NC State 7, Clemson 6

Second half

20:00-15:29: Clemson 7, NC State 3

15:29-11:53: NC State 5, Clemson 5

11:53-7:49: NC State 6, Clemson 6

7:49-3:45: NC State 6, Clemson 5

3:45-Final: Clemson 7, NC State 3

Overtime: Clemson 12, NC State 8

Here is the plus/minus for each player (the difference between points scored while they were on the floor) on NCSU:

• Moore: +4 (32 minutes played)

• Seabron: +3 (27)

• Redshirt sophomore center Manny Bates: -2 (35)

• Junior forward Jericole Hellems: -2 (28)

• Daniels: -4 (45)

• Funderburk: -4 (27)

• Allen: -7 (27)

• Hayes: -8 (24)

Using Hollinger’s measure of productivity, players are graded 1-40 with 10 being average for an NBA player.

Funderburk — 20.1

Daniels — 10.1

Moore — 8.1

Bates — 5.6

Hayes — 2.1

Hellems — 1.8

Allen — 0.3

Seabron — -1.4

For the ninth time in the last 11 games at Clemson, NC State lost. The Wolfpack still leads the overall series against the Tigers, 104-55, including 26-20 at Littlejohn Coliseum.

This game was televised on ACC Network. Throughout the year we will keep track of the Pack's record on the different channels:

• ACC Network: 4-1

• ESPNU: 1-0

• RSN: 1-1

We will also track NC State’s records by month:

• November: 2-0

• December: 4-1

• January: 0-1

• Clemson dominated the battle in the paint, 42-24.

• The Pack had a slight edge in fast-break points, 8-7.

• The Tigers' bench outscored NC State's reserves, 36-27.

• Clemson won the turnover margin, 14-9, but NC State had the advantage in points off turnovers, 12-11.

• NC State won on the boards 40-37 in overall rebounds, but the Tigers had a 9-7 edge on the offensive glass. The Wolfpack though had a 9-7 advantage in second-chance points.

• Defensively, NC State had three blocks and five steals. Clemson had no blocks and added four steals.

• NC State’s largest lead was nine points and it led for 35:14. Clemson's largest advantage was just four points and it led for 5:09.

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