Basketball is a game of runs, and the NC State men’s basketball team proved just that in its 76-64 win over Dayton.
The Wolfpack (5-1) went on a blistering 17-0 run in the second half and got a season-high 27 points from graduate guard Jarkel Joiner to run past the Flyers (3-3) in the second day of the Battle 4 Atlantis in Paradise Island, Bahamas.
“We knew we were gonna play against a very good team,” said head coach Kevin Keatts. “I’m proud of my guys after playing the way we played against Kansas. What you worry about as a coach, you’re playing the name of Kansas, and then you’ve gotta play another game the next day — would there be any letdown? I didn’t see that from these guys.”
NC State overcame a 10-point first half deficit to take a 36-32 lead at halftime. Sophomore guard Terquavion Smith led the Pack attack, scoring all 11 of his points in the first 20 minutes as each team shot 50%.
When Dayton took the lead 39-38 less than five minutes into the second half, the Pack turned it on, going on its 17-0 run in a span of four minutes to take a 55-39 lead. Joiner scored seven during that stretch and soon after knocked down a 2-point jumper and a 3 in succession to give NC State its largest lead at 62-45 with 7:40 to play.
“When they had their run, we had ours,” Joiner said. “In the second half, coach emphasized that we’ve gotta punch them in their mouth, and I think that’s what we did.”
The Flyers tried to get back into it, cutting the lead to 10 and getting it back to within single digits with under two minutes left, but the Pack kept them at bay as Joiner consistently knocked down free throws down the stretch, including the last four points of the game as NC State won it 76-64.
On just a day’s rest after taking No. 3 Kansas down to the wire, this result was a positive sign for NC State, which simply didn’t have these kinds of wins a season ago. Dayton is a quality team from the Atlantic 10 that could very well be playing in the NCAA Tournament, and this is a win that could bolster the Pack’s resume should it do the same.
In addition to Joiner and Smith, NC State also got a double-digit performance from graduate forward Jack Clark, who finished with 10 points and nine rebounds, as well as fellow graduate forward DJ Burns, who had 10 points himself.
“DJ played fantastic in the post,” Joiner said. “He was patient, passed when he needed to pass, scored when he needed to score.”
With one more game left to play in the Bahamas, it’s apparent that this year’s NC State team is leaps and bounds better than from 2021-22 and will be capable of competing with anyone in the ACC this season. The Pack has the guards, it has the size and it has the experience, which is a recipe for success in college basketball.
“We’re still learning how to play together,” Keatts said. “We’re still learning how to finish, but I’m proud of our guys. You beat a good team like Dayton by 12 on a neutral court, that’s some good basketball.”
NC State will play the winner of Butler vs. BYU on Black Friday, looking to take fifth place in the tournament. Tip-off time has yet to be announced.
