Pack passes early test

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- This is going to be a season of lessons for N.C. State, if nothing else. There's no question about that.

In its first two games of the Glenn Wilkes Classic this weekend, the Wolfpack learned how to play with a lead. On Sunday, N.C. State learned how to win a close game. And it could hardly have been closer.

Tracy Smith, mired in a dismal shooting night, gathered a rebound in the lane and scored with 1.3 seconds left to give N.C. State a 60-58 win over Auburn.

There's only one way to learn how to win like that.

"None better than that, when you can come out on the top," N.C. State coach Sidney Lowe said.

So what can you say about this Wolfpack team, still undefeated at 4-0 after taking away the trophy from this 10-team tournament?

The Pack showed during its weekend at the beach that it's capable of getting, and holding, a lead; that it's capable of playing some tough defense; and that it's capable of winning games it should win - the latter not always true last season.

This wasn't the greatest level of competition, to be sure, but it wasn't chopped liver, either. All three of N.C. State's opponents - Akron, Austin Peay and Auburn - reached some flavor of postseason competition last year, which is more than the Wolfpack could say.

It wasn't hard to imagine State losing to any or all of the three A-list opponents, and though Austin Peay got to just four points down late Saturday, that was as close as any got. In that sense, this State team has so far exceeded the less-than-lofty expectations set for it.

Smith solidified his role as State's offensive workhorse, with Dennis Horner continuing to provide a viable second scoring option, and the Wolfpack rode those two to the tournament title. Of the 192 points N.C. State scored this weekend, that duo accounted for 90.

None of State's opponents in Daytona Beach had any real plan for stopping Smith, who faced a steady stream of defenders 6 feet 8 or shorter, no match for his strength. He scored 16, 16 and 11 points in the three games despite shooting 4-for-18 Sunday, grabbing a career-high 15 rebounds.

His last two shots were the biggest. He was 2-for-16 before he converted a three-point play that put N.C. State up 57-56, then gathered up the rebound of a Julius Mays miss in the lane to give the Wolfpack the win.

"I was just praying that I made it," Smith said.

Horner had 16 points against Auburn to lead N.C. State and even outscored Smith 47-43 during the tournament. Still, State went too long, too often, without a basket when those two weren't scoring.

Of course, the Wolfpack has other issues. Pressure is going to be a problem, with Austin Peay pressing and trapping Javier Gonzalez and Mays into turnover after turnover. Highly touted freshman Richard Howell has yet to play because of a knee injury. Farnold Degand is still suspended.

But it's hard to complain too much. N.C. State had every opportunity to lose all three games this weekend, playing dicey second halves against Akron and Austin Peay and trailing Auburn twice in the final minute.

The Wolfpack won all three.

"Being in the ACC and having our out-of-conference schedule, they're going to come down like this," Horner said. "Getting this one under our belt was a great experience for us and a great confidence booster."

As lessons go, that's tough to beat.

N.C. State 60, Auburn 58

Percentages: FG .333, FT .722. 3-point goals: 5-19, .263 (Horner 2-4, Gonzalez 1-4, Mays 1-4, Wood 1-5, Williams 0-2). Team rebounds: 1. Blocked shots: 2 (Wood, Horner). Turnovers: 11 (Gonzalez 4, Mays 2, Wood 2, Painter, Horner, T.Smith). Steals: 6 (T.Smith 2, Wood, Vandenberg, Gonzalez, Williams). Technical Fouls: None.

Percentages: FG .415, FT .333. 3-point goals: 9-23, .391 (Sullivan 6-11, Reed 2-5, Malone 1-3, Ross 0-2, Hargrove 0-2). Team rebounds: 1. Blocked shots: 7 (Knox 3, Sullivan 2, Reed, Lett). Turnovers: 15 (Reed 4, Hargrove 3, Sullivan 2, Knox 2, Malone, Lett, Ross, Neysmith). Steals: 4 (Knox 2, Lett, Reed). Technical fouls: None.

Att.-616. Officials-J.B. Caldwell, Doug Sirmons, Brian Shey.