NC State ends ACC regular season with loss to Pittsburgh. 3 takeaways from the game
N.C. State’s regular season, once promising, has ended with a disappointing string of losses.
The Wolfpack was beaten 81-73 by Pittsburgh on Saturday, and its leading scorer, DJ. Horne, left the game with a leg injury in the first half.
Jayden Taylor had 28 points, allowing the Pack to make a strong push after falling behind by 17 points in the second half. Taylor had 22 of his points in the second half, knocking down five 3-pointers, as the Pack got within three points in the final three minutes.
“And we needed it,” NCSU coach Kevin Keatts said. “I thought he made shots, he did a good job. With Horne out we needed somebody else to step up. He played really big down the stretch for us.”
Horne, averaging 17 points a game. did not play in the second half and his availability for the ACC Tournament next week is uncertain. Keatts had no further update after the game.
The Pack (17-14 overall), once hopeful of a playing its way into high seed in the tournament in Washington, went into Saturday’s game at the Petersen Events Center already aware it would be the No. 10 seed. The Wolfpack will face Louisville at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at Capital One Arena — a much earlier start to the tournament than anyone in the program once envisioned.
But losing four straight games and seven of its last nine in the ACC will have the Pack packing up early for D.C. Once 5-1 in conference play, the Wolfpack finished 9-11 and will need to win the ACC Tournament to reach the NCAA Tournament for a second straight season.
The Pack’s downward spiral began with a 67-64 home-court loss to Pitt on Feb. 7 at PNC Arena. There was a road win at Clemson and a home win over Boston College, but the Wolfpack took some gut punches in a few close losses while also losing back-to-back games to rivals North Carolina and Duke.
The Panthers (21-10, 12-8 ACC) have been surging since beating the Pack, will go to Washington with a double bye in the ACC Tournament and could be playing their way off the NCAA Tournament bubble — Pitt was No. 43 in the NCAA NET rankings before Saturday.
Freshman guard Carlton “Bub” Carrington had 23 points and Blake Hinson, a 6-8 senior and matchup problem for most teams, had 21 for the Panthers.
The Pack had a strong start, making shots, taking the early lead. But Pitt, celebrating its Senior Night, was also scoring and broke away from a 23-23 tie with a 16-6 finish to the first half for a 39-29 lead.
Horne played just 12 minutes and had three points before limping off the court and taken to the locker room late in the half.
The Panthers took a 52-35 lead in the second half and appeared to be cruising. But Pack mustered a comeback behind the shooting of Taylor and defensive stops.
“We talked at each timeout of trying to chop away at the lead a little bit,” Keatts said. “We talked about putting a little game pressure on those guys. We felt like if we could get the game a little tighter, it would be tighter for them.
“A lot of times teams that get big leads relax a little bit. I thought Pitt relaxed a little bit and we were able to take advantage of some of that.”
Taylor, fouled on a 3-point shot with 3:59 left, made two free throws for a 70-66 game after a 10-0 Wolfpack run. D.J. Burns missed a shot, but Taylor hit a free throw and it was 70-67 with 2:26 left.
But Pitt answered. Fede Federiko’s putback, then a 3-pointer by Carrington, pushed the Panthers’ lead back to 75-67 to ease the building tension among Panthers fans.
Three takeaways from the game:
Panthers a team to watch
Jeff Capel has done a super job coaching and handling this Pitt team, which is playing its best basketball at the right time of the season and could be a team to watch in Washington.
Hinson is a leader and can be a big-time scorer. The Panthers have a solid backcourt with Carrington and Jaland Lowe. They can hurt teams with a 3-pointers but also inside and get help off the bench.
“I think those guards have grown up,” Keatts said. “Early in the year, because they’re young guys, they may have forced a couple of things. I think they’re now playing within the system. Their guard play has gotten better on both ends of the floor.”
Players such as Ishmael Leggett and Federiko do their part on the boards and can supply some points.
With a double-bye in the ACC Tournament, the Panthers should be well-prepared to make a run at the title.
What next from the Wolfpack?
No one can say what the Pack’s shelf life will be in Washington next week. If Horne is unable to play, it could be a challenge to beat Louisville (8-23, 3-17 ACC) on Tuesday and keep on playing.
Keatts gave Ernest Ross a look Saturday. He gave Kam Woods a look. He got 10 players into the game, looking for a spark.
By falling to the No. 10 seed, the Pack will have less time to plan and less time for Horne to recover.
More consistent scoring needed
The Wolfpack, as Keatts has mentioned, has a lot of willing shooters but not enough consistent makers.
Ernest Ross taking a 3-pointer, as he did Saturday, is not a good shot. He has barely played this season and is not an outside threat.
But that’s picking on one guy. State has had a number of players taking ill-advised shots and Keatts has gone into games having to wonder about too many players.
Horne ignited down the stretch of the season, scoring 24 or more points in six consecutive games, but came into Saturday’s game off an 8-point showing against Duke. Now, he’s injured, his availability for the ACC Tournament unknown.
This story was originally published March 9, 2024 at 12:00 AM.
