Wolfpack looking for offensive answers to end losing streak
A look at N.C. State’s basketball schedule only underscores the importance of the Pack’s ACC game Wednesday at Miami.
And mostly because of what comes after Miami.
The Pack has a road game at Syracuse, then at Boston College. It comes back to PNC Arena for home games against Duke and Florida State, then goes to North Carolina. That’s the next five games.
Get the idea? The Wolfpack (14-8, 5-6 ACC) does not want a three-game losing streak to worsen from a slip to a skid in a season suddenly turned sideways.
“We need to get back on track,” junior Devon Daniels said Saturday after a 77-57 loss to Louisville at PNC Arena. “In this conference you’re never out of it but we have to start winning some games. There’s always a sense of urgency but it’s the last half of (ACC) games. We’ve got to get it going.”
A more efficient offense is a must. The Pack has failed to score 60 or more points in three of its five games since an 80-63 win over Miami on Jan. 15. A big part of that is opponents playing solid defense — Virginia and Louisville quickly come to mind, and the Pack did win 53-51 at Virginia — but the Wolfpack must also look internally.
The Pack had too many empty possessions against the Cardinals — forced passes into the post that became turnovers, rushed shots that missed with no one in rebounding position, blown layups. In the second half, Manny Bates and DJ Funderburk both had point-blank shots at the rim and missed.
“We need to get everyone on the same page and score some points,” NCSU coach Kevin Keatts said after the game. “I’ve got to figure out how to get our best players playing better on offense and they’re not right now.”
It helps that senior C.J Bryce, one of the Pack’s best, rediscovered his shooting touch in the Louisville game after being “0-for” and scoreless in the losses to Georgia Tech and UNC. Bryce had a team-high 15 points, scoring 13 in the second half including a four-point play when he was fouled while draining a corner 3.
“It was a big positive for us,” Funderburk said. “I’m happy he’s getting his groove back. Once everybody else starts picking it up ...”
It hurts that guard Braxton Beverly has been slowed by back issues. It hurts that Pat Andree has a sore ankle and as Keatts put it, is unable to get lift on his jump shots. The Pack needs those two 3-point threats contributing — N.C. State has made 13 of 62 shots from 3-point range (21 percent) in its three-game losing streak, going 5-for-23 against Louisville.
But senior guard Markell Johnson has been too streaky and not as effective shooting off the dribble as he was last season. Daniels and Jericole Hellems have had their offensive ups and downs. Funderburk is a battler in the paint on the offensive end but needs to maintain his focus on both ends of the court.
Against Louisville, the Pack trailed 41-26 at halftime but made a strong push in the second half. A driving basket by Daniels pulled the Pack within 56-52 and PNC Arena was loud, but the Cardinals’ Dwayne Sutton drove for an easy basket — Funderburk in the lane but not contesting the shot — and Cards coach Chris Mack then called a timeout.
With play stopped, Keatts darted past midcourt toward Funderburk, walking him back to the bench and giving the big man an earful. Keatts then substituted in Bates, who missed the shot at the rim, and the Cards scored again to build the lead back to eight points.
Bryce, after scoring 11 points in a span of 1:36 early in the second half, went more than seven and a half minutes before getting another shot. The Pack could have done a better job keeping him more involved in the offense.
The Miami game at PNC Arena might have been the Pack’s best this season and was the first of three consecutive ACC wins. The Wolfpack had four players in double figures, Funderburk the team leader with 19 points, and had only seven turnovers. Miami, conversely, had three assists and 15 turnovers.
Chris Lykes, the Hurricanes’ miniscule but dynamic guard, had 20 points but also five of the turnovers. Lykes has been sidelined recently by a groin injury, missing the Pittsburgh game Sunday, and his availability is unknown for Wednesday’s game.
The Pack was 9-for-20 on 3s in the Miami game as seven players scored from behind the line, its best 3-point shooting in the past 12 games.
The Pack won at Miami in its ACC opener last season, scoring 50 points in the second half and rallying from a 10-point deficit in the final 10 minutes for an 87-82 victory. N.C. State would like to enjoy some late-night ice cream again Wednesday in Miami after another ACC road win.
“It’s a marathon,” Bryce said of the season. “We just came off a three-game win stretch and now we have a three-game losing stretch. It’s a grind.”
This story was originally published February 4, 2020 at 2:14 PM.
