NC State learned on Wednesday night that it can play just as well as any team in the ACC, and that nothing will be easy, especially against a team like Virginia. It was a poignant battle on the track, but the group that was better most of the night – and that was definitely the state – held out for the day.
You can’t underline a quick start in Charlottesville, and NC State started it off as a dream, smothering UVA defensively while knocking down a high percentage offensively. The peloton had a double digit lead for much of the first half, although UVA fought back – of course UVA would fight back.
After the Wahoos narrowed a 24-10 State lead to 25-21, NC State scored the next four with some good finishes from DJ Funderburk and Manny Bates; State’s lead at half time was 29-23.
Virginia’s struggle to shoot the ball evaporated early in the second half and Jericole Hellems lost Sam Hauser twice in the corner, resulting in UVA buckets.
Virginia eventually took a two-point lead with 2:30 PM, but given the course of the game, it never felt like a dramatic turning point in the game. State scored the next eight runs to regain control and would never give up the lead again.
It will go both ways against good teams, and State got an excellent try on both. The early hot shots sustained the attack and created some room for errors, while the defense did nothing to help UVA as it struggled from the field.
The pack’s defensive effort was noticeable, with the good possessions far outweighing the bad. Kihei Clark was largely rendered useless at the time, and when the state realized this, it became an easier problem to defend the Cavs as Clark tried more often than not to fly to the perimeter.
UVA finished just 7-25 from three, and there will always be a little luck involved with such a number, but the State contested many of those shots, which is important. Sam Hauser didn’t wake up until the second half; Jay Huff was only 1-6 of three.
From start to finish, the regular theme was NC State freshmen. Cam Hayes hit back-to-back threes early in the first half to get the pack up and running. Shakeel Moore came off the couch and made an almost immediate impact, with several highlights. That will be the norm for him. Dereon Seabron had some solid plays offensively, but was a crucial part of the defensive performance tonight.
This is a really good win, so let’s get some ice cream.