The NC State men’s basketball team ran over Florida State 92-72 at PNC Arena Sunday to extend its winning streak to four games.
The story of the night was 3-point shooting. The Wolfpack (20-9, 10-6) shot 59 percent (13 for 22) from beyond the arc. However, it was a different story on the other side. The Seminoles (19-9, 8-8) didn’t make a 3-pointer the whole game in 15 attempts.
“If you look at our stats, we’ve been a pretty good 3-point field goal percentage defensive team the whole year,” head coach Kevin Keatts said. “But we did a great job of challenging shots. I think the only clean look they got was when we fouled them in the corner, when Omer [Yurtseven] fouled him.”
On the offensive side, graduate guards Sam Hunt and Allerik Freeman hit four 3-pointers apiece. Al Freeman finished with a team high 25 points. Sophomore guard Markell Johnson wasn’t far behind with three 3-pointers.
“Confidence goes up when you see a ball go in,” Hunt said. “So once one person makes one, as a team we get going and other people start feeling it too.”
It was a strong start for the Pack, as the team was up 9-4 by the first media timeout, including sophomore center Omer Yurtseven who had 7 points and three rebounds in that time. Yurtseven finished with 13 points and eight rebounds.
Unfortunately for the Pack, Yurtseven, senior forward Abdul-Malik Abu and redshirt senior forward Lennard Freeman all had two fouls at the second media timeout. Keatts would rotate the three big men for the remainder of the game.
“I’ve got three really good big men that can play,” Keatts said. “And so, we were able to rotate all three guys in. It was a little frustrating to us as a team and also to them as players, but we found our way through it.”
The Pack was forced to shoot a lot without its big men in the game. NC State was 5 for 8 from 3-point range with six minutes to play in the first as the team led 34-21. Redshirt junior guard Torin Dorn lead the team with 13 points including a short jumper with five seconds left in the half. He finished with 19 points and five rebounds.
NC State was backed by an impressive defensive first half, including an effective press that resulted in a couple steals. The Wolfpack held Florida State to just 34 percent from the floor at the break. Florida State, a 36-percent 3-point shooting team, went 0 for 8 in the first half.
NC State would lead 48-29 after one half. Coming out of the break, sophomore guard Markell Johnson hit his third 3-pointer of the game, but the team was a little slow for the first few minutes.
The Pack woke up seven minutes into the second half when Hunt and Al Freeman hit back-to-back 3-pointers to go up 65-44. Seconds later, Yurtseven shook PNC Arena when he slammed one down.
“We were just able to attack our man one-on-one and get into the paint,” Al Freeman said. “Playing against any team, not just Florida State, but you can break down anybody getting to the paint, you cause help, you cause rotations and then you can get any shot you want.”
Hunt caught fire late in the second half, making four 3-pointers in to blow this game open. The Pack led 80-55 at the eight minute media timeout. Hunt finished with 14 points.
NC State’s tough defense in the second half continued, keeping an extended lead for the entirety of the second half. NC State also out rebounded a tall Seminoles team by four, despite having big men in foul trouble.
“Our guys are playing with great energy, it’s not the effort and energy,” Keatts said. “I think we play with effort and energy 40 minutes every game that we play. I just want to finish play, finish games.”
The Pack will attempt to continue to rise up the ACC standings Thursday when it travels to Atlanta to take on Georgia Tech.
Graduate transfer guard Allerik Freeman goes draws the foul as he goes up inside. Freeman had a team-high 25 points along with four rebounds, three assists, and four steals. The Wolfpack showed its dominance over Florida State coming away with a 92-72 win in Reynolds Coliseum on Sunday, Feb. 25.
