Over and out? Three takeaways from NC State basketball’s critical ACC loss at Syracuse
N.C. State had the opportunity on Wednesday to win its second consecutive game for the first time since early December, improve its chances to make the ACC Tournament and win its first true road game in more than a calendar year.
It achieved none.
Syracuse defeated the Wolfpack, 74-60, at JMA Wireless Dome to snap its three-game losing streak and deal a blow to N.C. State’s chances of making the conference championship. According to Playoff Status, N.C. State’s probability of making the ACC Tournament dropped to 20%, with three games remaining in the regular season.
The Wolfpack could still make the ACC Tournament if it wins out, but the margin of error is razor thin and its performance on Wednesday inspired little confidence. In fact, for a team whose postseason hopes largely depended on the outcome of this game, it didn’t play like it for most of the night.
N.C. State (11-17, 4-13 ACC) started the contest about as bad as a team could ask for — on both ends. Syracuse (12-16, 6-11) jumped to a 10-point lead less than six minutes into the game, shooting 6 of 10 from the field. The Orange extended that to a 16-point lead roughly six minutes later. N.C. State couldn’t find the basket and the defense looked flat.
Syracuse bullied its way inside the arc, shooting 13-24 (54.1%) from inside the 3-point line, and N.C. State had no answer on either end.
At halftime, the Orange led the Wolfpack, 38-25, with Breon Pass and Michael O’Connell as the Pack’s leading scorers. Brandon Huntley-Hatfield picked up four defensive rebounds.
N.C. State started the second half with a post up from Ben Middlebrooks, but the scoring never fully developed and foul trouble hurt the team on the defensive end.
Officials called Middlebrooks and Dontrez Styles for their third personal fouls less than three minutes into the second period.
Styles was one of the few bright spots for N.C. State. He entered the game scoring in double figures six times in the previous nine games. He’d scored at least 15 points in five games. And, in the seven games in February, he averaged 13.7 points per game and 6.4 rebounds.
The senior stayed in the game, despite his foul trouble, and led the futile comeback. He finished with a team-high 17 points.
Here are three takeaways in the Wolfpack’s loss.
NC State can’t control DJ Burns 2.0
Syracuse’s Eddie Lampkin entered the game nearly averaging a double-double, contributing 10.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. The transfer from Colorado nearly matched his season average in the first 20 minutes.
Lampkin notched nine points and eight rebounds in the first half, controlling the paint and out-working Middlebrooks and Huntley-Hatfield inside. His game reflected that of former N.C. State big man DJ Burns, who took the college basketball world by storm last postseason.
Despite several of the Wolfpack players practicing against Burns in previous seasons, the team had no answer for Lampkin. ESPNU commentator Chris Spotola said Lampkin “bodied Brandon Huntley-Hatfield” on a play underneath the basket.
Lampkin finished with 14 points, 15 rebounds and two assists.
Lampkin was reportedly pursued last offseason by Houston, Texas, Providence and Georgetown. N.C. State head coach Kevin Keatts said in the offseason there’s no one who could replace Burns. That said, the Wolfpack probably wishes Lampkin had been on its bench instead.
Paint points prove significant
The Orange’s big first-half lead — and subsequent victory — can, in part, be credited to paint points.
Syracuse finished with 22 points in the paint, while N.C. State finished with 12. The Orange dominated in the post, with Lampkin and Naheem McLeod bullying the Wolfpack inside. The duo combined for 13 points in the paint.
McLeod also forced a steal, something the Orange is not known for, which teammate Kyle Cuffe turned into points.
Middlebrooks, Huntley-Hatfield and Styles were unable to keep up with the size, length and strength of Lampkin and McLeod.
Lampkin is listed at 6-foot-11 and 265 pounds, while McLeod is a towering 7-foot-4 and 265 pounds. N.C. State’s two primary bigs are listed at 6-foot-10 and 240 pounds.
Additionally, Wolfpack defensive breakdowns allowed the Orange to make several easy shots at the rim. Huntley-Hatfield was victim to one such basket by McLeod after switching on the ball screen.
The Orange’s efforts to control the lane also led to a number of free throw attempts, which the helped the home team extend its lead.
On the offensive end, the Wolfpack didn’t make enough efforts to drive inside. N.C. State shot 2 of 13 from 3 in the first half, while the Orange shot 2 of 6. And, when the Wolfpack did make attempts to dribble to the post, shots were at times sloppy, forced or it didn’t get the foul calls it wanted.
In the end, Syracuse finished with a 46-22 advantage in the lane to beat N.C. State handily.
Offensive movement struggles
N.C. State’s offensive struggles have been documented extensively this season, but its movement on and off the ball against Syracuse was virtually nonexistent.
The Wolfpack players did not move well in the half court and often tried to take defenders one-on-one, leading to size mismatches, which led to turnovers or bad shot attempts.
This was a stark contrast to what the Pack normally looks like. It averages 12.6 assists per game and entered the Dome coming off one of its best offensive performances of the season. O’Connell recorded a career-high 13 assists, while the team had 23 assists on 29 made shots in its win over Wake Forest.
N.C. State started 1 of 8 from the field in the first half. It finished the half with two assists and nine made field goals.
The Wolfpack made a surge in the second half and cut the Cuse lead to eight points, its comeback attempt fueled on the offensive end by better movement and cleaner passing. It ended the game with seven assists on 13 made field goals in the second half.
Overall, N.C. State shot 22-64 (34.4%) from the floor and 8-27 (29.6%) from 3-point range. The Orange ended the game 28-48 (58.3%) and only took eight shots from 3.
However, the defense still couldn’t string together enough stops to let the Pack’s offense get rolling.
