Men’s basketball looks to bounce back at Pitt

Leigha Bruce, Staff Writer • February 7, 2019

Sophomore guard Braxton Beverly defends Pittsburgh guard Xavier Johnson on Saturday, Jan. 12 at PNC Arena. Beverly scored 9 points as NC State won 86-80.

NC State men’s basketball (16-7, 4-6 ACC) is preparing to travel to its next ACC opponent when it faces Pittsburgh (12-11, 2-8 ACC) Saturday afternoon. The last time these two teams met was in mid-January, when the Wolfpack came out on top 86-80.

The Wolfpack is coming off a tough loss against ranked No. 8 UNC-Chapel Hill, falling 113-96, while the Panthers are currently on a six-game losing streak after being defeated by Wake Forest 78-76.

Sophomore point guard Braxton Beverly had one of his best games against the Tar Heels, scoring a total of 17 points and going 4-5 from the 3-point line. Beverly is shooting 38 percent from the field with 62 assists this season.

As leading rebounder for the Wolfpack, redshirt senior guard Torin Dorn has brought much success to the team, contributing an average of 13.7 points per game. While Dorn is an active defender, tallying six blocks and 24 steals, he’s also an impactful player offensively shooting 47.4 percent.

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Redshirt junior guard C.J. Bryce has made a name for himself as a new player for NC State this season, carrying a total of 278 points, 32 steals and 112 rebounds. In the Wolfpack’s most recent game, Bryce shot 50 percent from the field to total 15 points.

Guard Xavier Johnson from Pittsburgh is leading the team in points, averaging 17 per game while shooting 45.7 percent. The freshman has become a vital offensive and defensive player, recording 86 rebounds and 104 assists.

Guard Jared Wilson-Frame has been the most consistent player for the Panthers this season, shooting 80.8 percent from the free-throw line and 41.3 percent from the field. In Pittsburgh’s last game, the senior went 5 of 8 from 3-point range with two blocks and three steals.

Forward Terrell Brown has been the Panthers’ big man at the basket this season, standing at 6-foot-10. With a total of 47 blocks, Brown has proven himself to be just as impactful a defensive player as he is an offensive one.

NC State will face Pittsburgh Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. in Petersen Events Center. The game will be broadcasted live on Raycom Sports.