NC State basketball snaps ACC losing streak. 3 takeaways from Wolfpack’s win over Miami
It was the kind of game, even with the late start Tuesday at PNC Arena, that had the feel of an N.C. State victory.
D.J. Horne hit his first shot, always a good sign for the Pack. D.J. Burns hit his first shot.The start was a good one for State. The crowd liked it, applauded it, cheered for it.
Was this the night the Wolfpack’s three-game ACC losing streak would come to an end? Yes.
The Pack fought past Miami, 74-68.
Horne had 24 points and Casey Morsell 17 for the Pack, which moved to 6-4 in the ACC and 14-7 overall. That offset big games from the Canes’ Nigel Pack, who scored 21 points and Norchad Omier, who had 18 points and 14 rebounds.
Like many ACC games, little came easily, for either team. Driving the lane took some willpower and want-to. Outside shots were contested.
The Wolfpack led 33-29 at halftime, getting 10 points from Morsell while limiting the Canes to 3-for-16 shooting on 3s.
In the second half, Miami often ran its offense through Omier and Pack, who had 41 points despite some hustling defense by Morsell and Jayden Taylor.
Pack did not score in the first half, taking just one shot, but hurt the Wolfpack with 3-pointers, drives and short jumpers, tying the score 48-48 with a baseline shot he turned into a 3-point play.
A 3-pointer by Morsell gave the the Pack a 53-52 lead with 7:43 left in regulation, and Horne followed with another 3. Miami’s Pack answered with a 3, but Horne knocked down another. It was punch-counter punch to the end, just as it was a year ago when the Wolfpack won 83-81 in overtime at PNC Arena.
The Canes, a quick-twitch team, worked over the Pack on the boards much of the game. But Miami, which has had turnover problems this season, continued to have ball-handling mistakes against the Pack’s aggressive man defense.
Miami also finished 7-for-28 on 3’s while the Pack was 9-of-21 on its 3-pointers
Three takeaways from the ACC game:
Omier a big problem
Any team waiting to beat Miami has to find a defensive solution for Omier. He’s a man. He’s listed at 6-7 and 240 pounds but looks bigger on the court and could fit comfortably on the Canes’ football team at tight end.
The Pack opened with D.J. Burns on the junior, who picked up his 11th double-double of the season and was coming off a big game against Pittsburgh. Keatts used Ben Middlebrooks on Omier, then Mo Diarra. It was a constant battle of bigs.
Omier had 12 points in the first half. He knocked down a 3 from the top of the key, leading to some smiles and words with Burns as the two big guys ran back down the court.
Battle of the boards
Another recurring problem for the Pack has been rebounding — more specifically keeping the other team away from the offensive glass. Virginia had a 54-32 rebounding edge and Syracuse had 16 offensive boards and 47-41 advantage.
That trend continued against Miami in the first half as the Hurricanes had 11 offensive rebounds and 12 second-chance points. That helped the Canes keep it close — the Pack held a 33-39 lead at the break.
In one first-half sequence, the Pack did its defensive work on a Miami possession, forcing two rushed shots. But the Canes had three offensive rebounds before Michael Nwoko had a putback basket.
Better out of the blocks
The Wolfpack did not have a slow start or any lengthy scoring droughts in the first half, which had to be a relief for Keatts.
The Pack, as most recall, scored 15 points in the first half last week at Virginia and then 22 at Syracuse on Saturday in falling behind by 16 at the break.State rallied against the Cavaliers to force overtime before losing but never caught the Orange after their first-half foibles.
The Pack jumped to a 12-4 lead against Miami and led 15-7 after the first eight minutes of the game. Horne hit a couple of 3’s early as the Canes were the team struggling in their halfcourt offense, even with Omier working well enough inside.
The Hurricanes, the ACC’s best 3-point team, missed 13 of 16 from the 3-point line in the opening half.
Battle of the boards
Another recurring problem for the Pack has been rebounding — more specifically keeping the other team off the offensive glass. Virginia had a 54-32 rebounding edge and Syracuse 16 offensive boards and 47-41 advantage.
That trend continued against Miami in the first half as the Hurricanes had 11 offensive rebounds and 12 second-chance points. That helped the Canes keep it close — the Pack held a 33-39 lead at the break.
In one first-half sequence, the Pack did its defensive work on a Miami possession, forcing two rushed shots. But the Canes had three offensive rebounds before Michael Nwoko had a putback basket.
