NC State basketball runs away from Abilene Christian: Three takeaways from the Pack’s win
The N.C. State Wolfpack men’s basketball team remains undefeated after a high-scoring evening at PNC Arena on Friday, overtaking Abilene Christian, 84-64. The Wildcats upset Oklahoma State in their opener, but they couldn’t add another to the resume.
N.C. State (2-0) beat Abilene Christian (1-1), 84-64, for its second win of the season, despite a slow offensive start.
Here are three takeaways from the team’s non-conference victory.
Wolfpack has good pieces
There were concerns coming into the season about whether N.C. State could replace Jarkel Joiner and Terquavion Smith. Head coach Kevin Keatts said the team wouldn’t replace those two — at least, there likely wouldn’t be one or two guys going off for 20 points per game. It would likely have four or five guys in double figures, with a star or two each outing. Though the team has a small sample size, he seems to be right.
Forwards DJ Burns and Mohamed Diarra led the team in its opener. Guard Jayden Taylor topped the Pack, scoring 22 points. Three other players finished with at least 10 points and nine total players scored.
Aside from the scoring, eight different Pack players pulled down a rebound and the team finished with 10 assists.
Even when the Pack got into some foul trouble, it remained composed and made adjustments. That maturity — especially among some of its younger players — should go far as the team advances through the season.
NC State defends the 3
Keatts said on Monday he challenged the team to strengthen its 3-point defense. It held The Citadel to four baskets from range. N.C. State continued that on Friday.
Abilene Christian’s first bucket of the night came from 3-point range and it added another pair within the first six minutes of the game. From that point forward, the Wolfpack only allowed one from deep.
Keeping opponents from finding momentum from the arc will be key going forward, especially if its own struggles continue.
Free throws make big impact
With a little over six minutes left in the first half, two Wolfpack players missed consecutive jumpers. Diarra, however, was fouled on the offensive rebound and went to the line. He made both.
Morsell missed a couple of layups in the second half, but Diarra was there with an offensive rebound and another trip to the line.
Free throws played a key element in the game for both squads, recording a combined 38 points from the line.
N.C. State scored 14 points in the first half alone, while ACU went 8-of-12 on freebies before the break.
Last season, the Wolfpack made 72.2% of its free throws, ranking No. 13 in the ACC and No. 152 in the nation.
Based on its performance on Friday, it looks like the program could be in better shape this time around.
This story was originally published November 10, 2023 at 9:12 PM.
