Three takeaways as N.C. State basketball’s tough shooting day results in loss to BYU
N.C. State’s trip west to face the highest level of competition it had played this season left the Wolfpack with tough lessons to absorb.
Brigham Young’s red-hot 3-point shooting allowed it to never trail while beating N.C. State 72-61 on Friday, leaving the Wolfpack winless in its two games at the Rady Children’s Invitational at LionTree Arena.
N.C. State (5-2), which started the season by winning five consecutive home games, suffered a 71-61 loss to No. 13 Purdue on Thursday when the four-team tournament began. On Friday, BYU (6-1) made 10 of 26 3-pointers (38.5%) while taking an 11-point halftime lead and pushing the lead as large as 24 points while rolling to the win.
“I didn’t think we were very good the entire weekend,” N.C. State coach Kevin Keatts said. “We did not do the little things to help win games.”
Guards Jayden Taylor and Michael O’Connell led the Wolfpack with 16 points each. But N.C. State shot just 36.8% in the loss.
N.C. State’s run of games against fellow power conference teams continues into December as the Wolfpack plays Texas (5-1) at home Wednesday night. After that, the Pack opens ACC play at home against Florida State (7-1) on Dec. 7. A game at No. 1 Kansas looms on Dec. 14.
“We did run into a red-hot shooting BYU team, who can make shots,” Keatts said. “But we’ve got to get better. We’ve got to grow. I’ve got to get this team connected. It starts with me, if there’s anybody to blame, it certainly starts with me and ends with me.”
Here are three takeaways from the game:
Brother, can I buy a rebound?
After N.C. State lost 71-61 to Purdue while getting outrebounded 38-28 on Thursday, Wolfpack coach Kevin Keatts cited that area of play as the cause of many of his team’s woes. The Wolfpack usually thrives with fast-break points. But Keatts pointed out that it’s tough to get a fast break going without getting defensive rebounds or forcing turnovers.
Well, the same thing happened again against BYU. The Cougars won the rebounding battle, 45-32. The Wolfpack, averaging a nation-leading 25 fast-break points per game this season, had just one fast-break point in the first half and finished with five for the game.
Keatts called rebounding “obviously a major issue for us.” He’s alarmed that 15 of BYU’s rebounds were on the offensive end.
“We didn’t get some transition baskets by halftime,” Keatts said. “We had one point, and it’s one simple reason. You can’t run if you can’t secure the basketball. There were probably 10 possessions where I thought we played really great defense, and then the ball gets up on the rim. We don’t hit someone, they get a second and third opportunity. That’s something that we got to solve. It’s something that I got to solve.”
The Pack did a good job forcing turnovers, as it had four steals leading to 14 BYU turnovers. But N.C. State only scored nine points off those Cougars turnovers.
Pack 3-point shooting improves
N.C. State actually made its first 3-point shot attempt of the game and its first of the second half. Would this be the day the Pack shook off its shooting woes from behind the arc? Yes, providing a bright spot in the loss.
A 27.4% 3-point shooting team this season entering Friday, N.C. State finished 9 of 23 (39.1%) on them against BYU. The Wolfpack made just 4 of 13 in the first half as the Cougars took a 38-27 halftime lead. But the Pack made 5 of 10 in the second half to climb back and make the final score respectable after BYU led 65-41 with 8:41 to play.
Tough trip for Styles
While transfer big man Brandon Huntley-Hatfield is off to a strong start this season after his move from Louisville to N.C. State, Wolfpack transfer guard Dontrez Styles has yet to find his footing after arriving from Georgetown.
The 6-6 senior from Kinston, who started his career at North Carolina, had a particularly rough trip to San Diego. He scored just four points in N.C. State’s loss to Purdue on Thursday and managed only two points against BYU on Friday before fouling out.
Styles shot 3 of 12 from the field, missing all seven of his 3-point shots in the two games in San Diego.
In his first seven games with the Wolfpack, all in a starting role, Styles has only reached double figures twice. He topped out with 12 points against William & Mary.
This story was originally published November 29, 2024 at 5:47 PM.