N.C. State (24-9, 12-7 ACC) avenged its loss on Jan. 29 in Charlottesville as the Wolfpack defeated the Virginia Cavaliers (21-11, 11-8 ACC) Friday afternoon at Greensboro Coliseum, 75-56. State has defeated the Wahoos in five straight Atlantic Coast Conference tournament games.
“Our team is beginning to find its groove,” head coach Mark Gottfried said. “Defensively, I think we are improving. Offensively, we moved the ball and shared the ball very well.”
Senior forward Scott Wood led the team by scoring 23 points, tying his season high. His seven 3-point baskets mark a career-high for the Marion, Ind. native.
“When the voting came out for All-ACC selections, I was shocked that Scott Wood was not on somebody’s first, second, third or honorable mention team selections,” Gottfried said. “When you play our team, one of the first things you do is figure out how you are going to stop Scott Wood. Not only was he working extremely hard defensively, he changed the game, period.”
“Anytime I get the opportunity to get a good look, I am going to take advantage of it,” Wood said. “My teammates just did a good job of finding me, setting good screens and allowing me to get a couple of easy looks. Once I knocked them down, it gave me a little more confidence.”
Junior forward Calvin Leslie added 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for his 10th double-double of the season.
Senior forward Richard Howell led the team in rebounds, snatching 12 boards but was limited to only six points.
Freshman forward T.J. Warren started his eighth consecutive game and exploded with 18 points against the Wahoos. He is averaging 15.3 points per game since entering the starting lineup.
“Putting T.J. in the lineup has helped our chemistry,” Gottfried said.
Junior guard Lorenzo Brown, who injured his ankle at John Paul Jones Arena in State’s last encounter with the Cavs, scored nine points, added a team-leading six assists and nabbed five boards for the Pack.
“[Brown] does so many things throughout the game,” Gottfried said. “We have great confidence in him. We are a different team when he is healthy.”
After letting Virginia draw first blood, Leslie opened up State’s scoring with two straight baskets. Following a Cavalier score to tie the game at four apiece, the vengeful Pack took hold of the reins and never looked back, leading by as many as 11 points during the first half. At halftime, State held a 30-21 advantage.
Hoping to avoid the same fate it faced in Charlottesville, the Pack immediately jumped on a 14-4 run to begin the second half. Wood led the time by making three consecutive baskets beyond the arc during that stretch. Virginia answered with a 17-9 run, but State stayed resilient and responded by finishing the game on a 20-12 run.
The Pack shot 45.8 percent on the floor, including 50 percent behind the arc. State also took advantage from the free throw line, making 13 of its 16 opportunities at the charity stripe. Both teams turned the ball over 10 times and converted them into 11 points on the other end. The Pack held a slight advantage in the paint, scoring 34 points in front of the basket as opposed to the Cavs’ 32.
State will return to action tomorrow at 1 p.m. in an ACC tournament semifinal matchup against the No. 1 seed Miami Hurricanes, the only team to defeat the Pack at home this season.
