North Carolina State University Athletics
Pack Advances to the NIT Semifinals
3/24/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Madison Square Garden - New York, N.Y. - March 28, 2000 * 7:00 p.m.
ESPN - Ron Franklin (play-by-play) and Bill Rafftery (color)
Radio: Wolfpack-Capitol Sports Network (36 stations - WPTF 680AM flagship), Gary Hahn (Play-by-Play) and Tony Haynes (color). Coverage begins 30 minutes prior to tip-off.
PACK ADVANCES TO NIT SEMIFINAL
With its win over Mississippi, NC State advanced to the NIT semifinals for the fourth time in school history. The Pack is 1-2 all-time in NIT semifinal games. NC State is making its first appearance in the semifinals since 1978, when the Pack defeated Georgetown, 86-85. The Wolfpack lost to Texas, 101-93 OT, in the championship game. NC State also played in the semifinals in 1976, losing to UNC-Charlotte (80-79), and in 1947 when the Pack fell to Kentucky (60-42). Following both semifinal losses, NC State won consolation games vs. West Virginia (1947, 64-52) and Providence (1976, 74-69). The Wolfpack has never won an NIT title.
All seven of NC State's NIT games over the last four years have been played in Raleigh. The last time an NC State team won at least three games in a postseason tournament (other than the ACC Tournament) was in the 1986 NCAA Tournament. The Pack beat Iowa (66-64) and Arkansas-L.R. (81-66) in Minneapolis, then beat Iowa State (70-66) in the Sweet 16. NC State lost to Kansas (75-67) in the Midwest Regional final.
NC STATE IN THE NIT
NC State is competing in the NIT for the fourth straight season. It is the 10th time the Pack has played in the postseason NIT and the Wolfpack's 27th postseason appearance overall. The Pack is 13-9 all-time in its 22 NIT games.
The Wolfpack was 4-3 in the regular season against teams in the NIT field this year. NC State notched wins over ACC foes Virginia (65-62, 1/12/00 and 76-65, 3/10/00) and Wake Forest (76-56, 1/16/00). NC State also defeated Arizona State (79-68, 1/29/00). The Wolfpack lost to Wake Forest (53-71, 2/15/00), Virginia (82-88, 2/12/00) and Tulane (62-73, 12/22/99).
SERIES VS CALIFORNIA
NC State and Cal have never played. The Wolfpack is 11-5 all-time vs. teams from the Pac-10. ACC teams are 87-58 all-time vs. the Pac-10, 6-6 this season.
SERIES VS WAKE FOREST
Wake Forest is the Wolfpack's oldest rival with the series dating back to NC State's first season of basketball in 1910-11. The teams have met 207 times and NC State holds a 122-85 overall lead in the series. They have never met in a postseason tournament.
NC State's first-ever scheduled basketball game was rained out. It was to be part of a basketball-football doubleheader against Virginia Tech on Thanksgiving Day in 1910 in Norfolk, Va. But NC A & M, as NC State was named at that time, did not have an indoor practice facility and had to practice outdoors in an open field in what is now Pullen Park.
So, the Wake Forest Baptists became NC State's first basketball opponent on Feb. 16, 1911. Wake Forest, which had started basketball in 1906, cruised to a 33-6 victory in that game, then A&M College exacted revenge on Feb. 21 in the first ever collegiate basketball game played in Raleigh, a 19-18 win for the Farmers.
More recently, NC State has won two of the last three meetings between the teams. This season, the Pack earned a 76-56 victory over the Deacons in the ESA on Jan. 16. NC State shot 51.3 percent from the field in that game and kept the Deacons scoreless for 7:11 at the end of the first half. Sophomore guard Anthony Grundy scored a career-high 30 points in the game, while the Pack made 31-of-37 (83.8 percent) from the free-throw line.
In Winston-Salem on Feb. 15, Wake Forest jumped out to a 15-2 lead and never trailed as NC State dropped its fourth straight game, 71-53. The Pack scored just 15 points in the first half, shooting a season-low 23.1 percent. NC State cut the Deacons lead to nine points, 47-38, with 8:43 left but came not closer. Freshman Damien Wilkins led the Pack with 21 points, all in the second half.
SERIES VS PENN STATE
NC State holds a 14-2 lead in the all-time series vs. Penn State, including a 69-60 win overthe Nittany Lions in the 1952 NCAA first round. The teams played a home-and-home series during the 1997 and '98 season, with each team holding serve on their home floor. NC State earned a 44-41 victory over the Nittany Lions on Nov. 25, 1996, led by 12 points from Jeremy Hyatt. The Wolfpack held PSU to 40 percent shooting and forced 21 turnovers, but shot just 30.8 percent from the field itself. The following year, Penn State scored a 61-57 win on Nov. 29, 1997. C.C. Harrison led the Wolfpack with 14 points, while Dan Earl and Pete Lisicky each had 14 for Penn State.
The Pack is 31-12 all-time vs. Big Ten opponents, including a 61-59 win over No. 21 Purdue on Dec. 1. ACC teams are 122-96 all-time vs. the Big Ten, 8-5 this season.
SERIES VS NOTRE DAME
Notre Dame holds a 4-2 lead in the all-time series vs. NC State. The teams last met in 1983, when Tom Sluby scored 11 points to lead Notre Dame to a 43-42 victory. Ernie Myers led the Wolfpack with 15 points.
NC State is 49-32 all-time vs. Big East opponents, including a 64-60 win over Providence on Dec. 4. ACC teams are 87-66 all-time vs. the Big East, 5-6 this season.
PACK GETS TO 20 WINS
With its win over Mississippi in the NIT quarterfinals, NC State won 20 games in a season for the first time since 1990-91, current NC State athletics director Les Robinson's first year as head coach. NC State went 20-11 overall in 1991. NC State has had 27 20-win seasons all-time.
WOLFPACK DEFENSE FLOODS OLE MISS
With its 77-54 victory over Ole Miss, NC State advanced to the NIT semifinals in New York City for the fourth time in school history and got 20 wins in a season for the first time since 1991. The Wolfpack held Ole Miss to a season-low 28.6 percent shooting, while getting double-doubles from Kenny Inge (17-10) and Damien Wilkins (16-10). The Pack led by 16 points, 38-22, at halftime, but the Rebels rallied to cut the lead to seven points with 13:00 left. Inge drew a charge from Ole Miss' Marcus Hicks with 12:38, then Hicks was assessed a technical foul for throwing the ball at Inge, sparking a 17-6 Wolfpack run.
NC STATE ESCAPES SUN DEVILS
IN NIT SECOND ROUND
Despite 32 points from PAC-10 Player of the Year Eddie House, NC State escaped with a 60-57 win over Arizona State on Tuesday night. The Wolfpack got 19 points and 12 rebounds from junior Kenny Inge, whose dunk with 55 seconds remaining gave NC State a 58-57 lead. Two free throws from freshman Damien Wilkins sealed the victory with 7.4 seconds left.
NC STATE RIDES OUT GREEN WAVE
IN NIT FIRST ROUND
NC State avenged a regular-season loss to Tulane by defeating the Green Wave in the first round of the NIT. The Wolfpack lost at Tulane, 62-73 on Dec. 22, but earned a 64-60 victory on March 14. NC State advanced to the second round of the NIT for the fourth consecutive season. Freshman Damien Wilkins scored a team-high 18 points.
WOLFPACK INDIVIDUAL HIGHLIGHTS
IN THE NIT:
ICE COLD REBELS
NC State held Ole Miss to a season-low 28.8 percent (17-of-59) field-goal shooting in the Pack's 77-54 quarterfinal win. Thirteen Wolfpack opponents have shot below 40 percent in games this season. The Rebels shooting performance was the lowest by a NC State opponent since Dec. 1, 1998, when Army shot 19.3 percent (11-of-57) in a 94-33 Wolfpack victory.
INGE STEPS UP; NEARS 1,000-PT CLUB
Junior forward Kenny Inge is averaging 15 points and 8.7 rebounds in the NIT, while shooting 64 percent from the field. Inge had back-to-back double-doubles vs. Arizona State (19-12) and Ole Miss (17-10) in the second round and quarterfinals, respectively. Inge now has 983 career points and with 17 more points would become the 34th player in school history to surpass the 1,000-point mark for a career.
The 6-8 forward has a team-high 34 dunks this season, 35 percent of his made field goals for the year (98). For his career, Inge has gotten nearly 33 percent (323-of-983) of his points from the free-throw line. He has also drawn a team-high 20 charges this season, including three against Ole Miss.
DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Kenny Inge recorded back-to-back double-doubles vs. Arizona State (19-12) and Ole Miss (17-10), his only double-doubles of the season. Damien Wilkins also notched a double-double against the Rebels (16 points and 10 rebounds), giving the Wolfpack 10 total double-doubles this season. Damon Thornton has a team-high five double-doubles and ranks eighth among ACC players in double-doubles this season. Wilkins has three double-doubles this year. Inge now has 17 career double-doubles, fourth among all ACC players.
The last time two NC State players had double-doubles in the same game was Feb. 11, 1998, when Kenny Inge (12-14) and Cornelius Williams (11-10) had double-doubles vs. Maryland.
2000 NC State Double-Doubles
Player Pts-Reb Opponent Date
Kenny Inge 17-10 Mississippi 3/23/00
19-12 Arizona State 3/21/00
Damon Thornton 14-11 Florida State 3/5/00
12-11 Maryland 2/6/00
11-13 Western Carolina 12/30/99
16-10 Yale 12/28/99
16-10 Old Dominion 11/23/99
Damien Wilkins 16-10 Mississippi 3/23/00
21-10 Wake Forest 2/15/00
14-10 Providence 12/4/99
NO LONGER JUST A FRESHMAN
As the year has worn on, freshman Damien Wilkins has become the Wolfpack's *go-to guy.* In the postseason, the 6-6 forward is averaging 16.2 ppg while shooting 50 percent (24-of-48) from the field. He has strung together seven straight double figure performances and has been in double-figures in 10 of the last 11 games. Wilkins has been successful getting to the free-throw line as well, averaging 7.4 free-throw attempts per game in the last three games. His free throws with 7.4 seconds left vs. Arizona State sealed the Wolfpack's victory.
FOLLOWING HIS FATHER'S FOOTSTEPS
In a pre-NIT press conference, freshman Damien Wilkins said his father, NBA veteran Gerald Wilkins, told him the NIT was the tournament he *made his money in.* Now, Wilkins is following in his father's footsteps. Against Tulane, Wilkins had a team-best 18 points, then finished with 11 points vs. Arizona State in the second round. He notched his fourth double-double of his career vs. Ole Miss, finishing with 16 points and 10 rebounds. In five career NIT games while at UT-Chattanooga, Gerald Wilkins averaged 23.2 ppg while shooting 59.7 percent from the field.
WILKINS MAKES HIS MARK
Wilkins' quiet all-around play has snuck up on many. Wilkins is among NC State's top four in scoring (11.4 ppg, 2nd), rebounding (5.9 rpg, 3rd), assists (73, 3rd), blocks (18, 4th) and steals (40, 3rd). Wilkins is among ACC leaders in offensive rebounding at 2.81 per game and, in ACC play, ranked 10th in free-throw percentage at 75.4 percent. He has also begun to make his mark in the school record book, ranking among NC State freshmen leaders in several categories.
Wilkins Among NC State Freshmen All-Time Category No. Rank Points 364 6th Scoring Average 11.4 6th Rebounds 189 4th Rebound Average 5.9 5th Assists 73 5th Steals 40 5th Free Throws 96 2nd Free Throw Attempts 147 2nd Minutes 1018 2nd Games Started 32 1st
WILKINS NAMED ALL-TOURNAMENT
NC State freshman forward Damien Wilkins earned second-team all- ACC Tournament honors following two outstanding performances in the Pack's run to the tournament semifinals. Wilkins finished with 36 points while shooting 58.8 percent (10-of-17) from the field and 62.5 percent (5-of-8) from three-point range. He was the only player not from Duke or Maryland named to the all-tournament team.
2000 ACC All-tournament teams First Team Jason Williams, Duke (MVP) Juan Dixon, Maryland Shane Battier, Duke Lonny Baxter, Maryland Chris Carrawell, Duke Second Team Terence Morris, Maryland Carlos Boozer, Duke Mike Dunleavy, Duke Damien Wilkins, NC State Nate James, Duke
ALL IN THE FAMILY
In regular season games, Wilkins rates fifth among ACC freshmen in scoring (11.0 ppg) and second in rebounding (6.2 rpg), keeping up his family's basketball tradition. His father, Gerald Wilkins, is UT-Chattanooga's second leading career scorer with 1,449 points in three seasons (1982-85). Gerald, who attended Mobley (Mo.) Junior College before going to UT-C, averaged 12.6 points and 3.8 rebounds in his first season at Chattanooga. Uncle Dominque Wilkins averaged 18.6 ppg and 6.5 rpg in 16 games as a freshman at Georgia (1980-82), missing 11 games with a knee injury. Damien's 70 assists this season is more than his uncle and father had in their freshmen seasons combined.
Wilkins's FIRST Seasons Name G FG% FT% R-Avg. A B S PTS-AVG Damien Wilkins 32 .418 .653 189-5.9 73 18 40 364-11.4 Gerald Wilkins 30 .483 .661 113-3.8 24 6 46 379-12.6 Dominique Wilkins 16 .525 .730 104-6.5 23 20 27 297-18.6
GOING TO THE WELL(S)
Senior forward Tim Wells has averaged 7.5 points over the Wolfpack's last four games after averaging 1.9 points during the regular season. He has made 8-of-14 three-pointers in those games.
Wells has started each of the Pack's NIT games this season. He had nine points on 3-of-4 shooting from three-point range vs. Tulane, then followed that with seven points on 3-of-4 shooting vs. Arizona State. He also played a season-high 21 minutes vs. the Sun Devils and hit his first two-pointer of the season. Against Ole Miss, Wells finished with five points on 2-of-4 shooting from the field.
Wells came off the bench to score nine points vs. Maryland in the ACC Tournament semifinals, surpassing his point total from the rest of the season combined. He finished the game 3-of-6 from three-point range. His three-pointer at the buzzer rimmed out, almost sending the game into overtime.
Wells appeared in just 10 games this season prior to the postseason, averaging just 4.7 minutes per game. Wells started 22 games last year, averaging 8.2 ppg. He was slowed for much of the preseason this year by tendintis in both knees, then dislocated his left shoulder.
GRUNDY BREAKS OUT
OF SHOOTING SLUMP
Sophomore guard Anthony Grundy broke out of a shooting slump with 10 points vs. Ole Miss, going 4-of-7 from the field. It was his first double-figure scoring outing since getting 12 points vs. UVa in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals (3/10/00).
Grundy shot 12 percent (3-of-25) from the field and 0-of-11 from three-point-range while averaging 3.7 ppg game in his previous three games. He finished with two points in the Pack's NIT games against Tulane and Arizona State. Grundy leads NC State in scoring at 12.5 ppg this season.
BACKCOURT BLUES
In addition to Grundy's slump, backcourt mate Justin Gainey has also struggled of late. Gainey is 5-of-19 from the field and 1-of-8 from three-point range in the NIT, averaging 4.7 ppg. The Wolfpack's starting backcourt is averaging 10.1 ppg in the NIT, while shooting just 8-of-40 (20 percent) from the field and 2-of-14 (14.2 percent) from three-point range.
KELLEY RETURNS TO FORM
After missing six games following knee surgery, center Ron Kelley has averaged 8.6 ppg in the postseason, while shooting 17-of-29 (59 percent) from the field. Kelley finished with 11 points, including 10 in the second half, vs. Tulane in the NIT first round. His jumper with the shot clock winding down at the 2:23 mark gave the Wolfpack a three-point lead. Kelley's two free throws with 1.7 seconds left sealed the win for NC State.
Kelley had 27 points in two ACC Tournament games, making 12-of-17 (70.6 percent) from the field. He had 16 points vs. UVa in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals, then finished with 12 points vs. Maryland in the semifinals. Kelley also pulled down an average of 6.5 rebounds per game in the ACC Tournament.
The 6-8 center from Emory, Texas underwent surgery on Jan. 30 to repair damaged cartilage in his left knee.
BENCH PRODUCTIVE AGAIN
After averaging just 9.0 ppg during the previous eight games, NC State's reserves have averaged nearly 18 points over the past five games. Prior to injuries to top reserves Marshall Williams and Ron Kelley, NC State's bench had been contributing an average of 20.7 ppg. The Wolfpack has played at least nine people in 31 of 32 games this season and NC State reserves have outscored opponent reserves 569-400 for the season.
GAINEY SETS ACC TOURNAMENT
STEALS MARK
Senior point guard Justin Gainey set an ACC Tournament record with nine steals vs. UVa on March 10. The senior, who also holds the tournament record for minutes played (160 in 1997) ranks fourth all-time in school history with 178 career thefts and ninth in school history with 325 career assists. His nine steals is the highest total by an ACC player this season, passing teammate Anthony Grundy, who had seven steals vs. Georgia on Nov. 19. Gainey's nine steals is the second-highest single-game total by a Wolfpack player and the most in 26 years. Moe Rivers had 10 steals vs. Clemson on Jan. 12, 1974. Only seven players in NC State history rank among the school's top 10 in both career assists and steals. Chris Corchiani holds the school record with 1038 career assists (2nd in NCAA history) and 328 career steals from 1988-91.
PACK FINDS SHOOTING TOUCH
NC State set a school ACC Tournament record by shooting a season-high 61 percent (25-of-41) from the field vs. UVa on March 10. The last time NC State shot better than 61 percent in a game was against Campbell on Nov. 18, 1998, when the Pack hit 63 percent (34-of-54) from the field. NC State had shot 40.2 percent (47-of-117) in its previous two games.
THORNTON SPRAINS ANKLE
Junior Damon Thornton suffered a sprained left ankle in the second half of the Pack's ACC Tournament game vs. UVa. He missed the semifinal game vs. Maryland and the Pack's NIT first round game vs. Tulane. Thornton returned in the NIT second round, playing 25 minutes vs. Arizona State. He finished with seven points and seven rebounds. Thornton is averaging 9.6 points and 7.6 rebounds this season and ranks among league leaders in rebounding (6th) and blocked shots (48, 6th). He has finished in double-figures 15 times this season which is more than the total of his previous two seasons combined.
INJURY BUG BITES AGAIN
With Damon Thornton's sprained ankle, NC State's injury woes over the last four seasons continued. Over the past four seasons, 11 different Wolfpack players have missed a combined 146 games. Two years ago it was foot injuries. This year, four players have missed time with knee problems. Junior Ron Kelley and freshman Marshall Williams both had arthroscopic knee surgery. Williams had surgery to repair a partial tear of meniscus cartilage on Feb. 10 and was expected to miss at least three weeks. Thornton suffered a crack fracture of his right pinky finger prior to the Pack's game at Wake Forest.
Earlier this season, junior forward Kenny Inge suffered a partial tear of his medial collateral ligament in his left knee and missed four games from Nov. 26-Dec. 17. The injury did not require surgery. Senior forward Tim Wells missed much of the preseason due to tendinitis in his left knee, then dislocated his left shoulder shortly after returning to practice.
Here is a look at NC State's injuries over the past four seasons:
Player Injury Season (Games) Marshall Williams knee 1999-00 (12) Damon Thornton sprained ankle 1999-00 (2) Ron Kelley knee 1999-00 (6) Kenny Inge knee 1999-00 (4) Tim Wells knee, shoulder 1999-00 (3) Cornelius Williams foot 1998-99 (1) Adam Harrington sprained ankle 1998-99 (1) Damon Thornton hip/groin 1998-99 (0*) Archie Miller back surgery 1998-99 (30) Justin Gainey strained back muscle 1997-98 (3) Damon Thornton broken foot (right) 1997-98 (29) Ron Anderson broken foot (left) 1997-98 (27) Ron Kelley sprained foot (right) 1997-98 (7) Tim Wells stress fracture, shoulder1997-98 (5) Luke Buffum broken foot 1997-98 (7) Damon Thornton hip 1996-97 (9) 11 different players 146 total games * did not practice regularly until Jan. 1
WILLIAMS OUT FOR REST OF SEASON
NC State freshman guard Marshall Williams will miss the remainder of the season following surgery to repair cartilage damage in his left knee on Feb. 10. Williams, 6-4 of Milwaukee, Wisc., will concentrate his efforts on rehabilitation and strengthening the knee.
For the season, Williams averaged 5.5 points and 2.5 rebounds while playing an average of 18.6 minutes per game. He had developed into one of the Pack's most versatile defenders. Williams was named the ACC Rookie of the Week Dec. 20 following a season-high 17 points vs. Liberty.
He made the biggest play of his short Wolfpack career with 0.8 seconds left at No. 5 Duke. Point guard Justin Gainey intentionally missed a free throw and Williams tipped the ball into the basket, tying the game at 79 and sending it into overtime. Williams' driving layup with 3.3 seconds left cut the lead to three points. He finished the game with 12 points.
CONFERENCE TOURNEY SUCCESS
UNDER SENDEK
NC State has gone 6-4 in the ACC Tournament since Herb Sendek took over as the team's coach in 1996-97. The Wolfpack has not lost its opening game in the tournament in any of Sendek's four seasons as head coach. Sendek's three teams at Miami (Ohio) from 1993-96 also did not lose in the first round of the MAC Tournament, compiling a 4-3 overall MAC Tourney record.
In 1997, eighth-seeded NC State defeated Georgia Tech in the opening round, 60-46, eventually advancing to the tournament finals. A year later, seventh-seeded NC State defeated Florida State, 65-63, in the opening round when Tim Wells blocked a last-second attempt by FSU guard Kerry Thompson. Last season, the fifth-seeded Wolfpack defeated Wake Forest, 66-52, in the opening game.
GRUNDY EARNS COACHES'
ALL-DEFENSIVE HONOR
NC State sophomore guard Anthony Grundy was named to Barry Jacobs' ACC Fan's Guide All-Defensive team, voted on by the league's nine coaches. Grundy ranks third in the ACC in steals, averaging 2.1 per game. His 65 steals ties the sixth-highest single-season total in school history. He has also drawn 15 charges this season.
2000 Fan's Guide All-Defensive Team
Player, School Votes
Shane Battier, Duke 9
Chris Carrawell, Duke 9
Juan Dixon, Md. 7
Adam Hall, UVa 4
Anthony Grundy, NCS 3
voted by ACC's head coaches
NC State Single-Season Steals
Player (Year) Steals
1. Chris Corchiani (1990) 95
2. Chris Corchiani (1991) 91
3. Nate McMillan (1986) 90
4. Sidney Lowe (1983) 87
5. Chris Corchiani (1989) 81
6. Anthony Grundy (2000) 65
Spud Webb (1985) 65
PICKPOCKETS
NC State had 14 steals vs. Florida State on March 5, its highest total in ACC play this season. Freshman Damien Wilkins had five steals, a season-high, while Anthony Grundy had three steals. NC State is averaging 9.2 steals per game this season, third in the ACC. NC State has had double-digit steals in 11 games this season, including three conference games. The Pack had 19 steals against Liberty (Dec. 17), the second-highest single-game total in school history.
WHEN GAINEY'S IN DOUBLE-FIGURES *
NC State is 27-8 over the past four years when point guard Justin Gainey finishes in double-figures in scoring, 9-3 this season. Gainey had a team-high 17 points vs. Clemson (Feb. 27) in his final home game, while also adding three assists and no turnovers. Against Florida State, Gainey finished with 16 points (7-of-9 shooting). He had 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting vs. UVa in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals.
FIXTURE
Many ACC followers remember Gainey as the baby-faced freshman who played every minute of the 1997 ACC Tournament as the eighth-seeded Wolfpack made a run to the championship game. Gainey became the first player in ACC history to play all 40 minutes in four tournament games. Now the team's senior captain, he ranks fourth all-time in school history in minutes played (since 1984) with 3,769 minutes logged. For his career, Gainey has played an average of 29.9 mpg (126 games).
NC State Career Minutes Played
Player Minutes Years
1. Chris Corchiani 4097 1988-91
2. Rodney Monroe 3989 1988-91
3. Ishua Benjamin 3782 1995-98
4. Justin Gainey 3769 1997-
5. Curtis Marshall 3323 1992-96
NOTE: minutes kept since 1984
PACK BREAKS LOSING STREAK AT FSU
NC State's 70-51 win at Florida State broke a seven game losing streak, the fifth-longest slide in school history. It was the Pack's first-ever win in Tallahassee in 10 tries and the first conference road victory since defeating Georgia Tech, 51-50, on Feb. 2, 1999 (a string of 10 games). It was NC State's biggest road win since a 21-point victory (67-46) over Memphis on Nov. 30, 1997. The victory marked the biggest ACC road win since NC State defeated Maryland, 90-67, on Jan. 29, 1989. Prior to the seven-game streak, NC State's last victory was also against FSU, a 68-58 home win on Feb. 2. The Wolfpack lost a school-record nine consecutive games during the 1991-92 season.
SECOND-HALF DEFENSE COSTLY
DURING LOSING STREAK
The Wolfpack's defense in the second half was costly during its seven-game losing streak. Opponents shot 50.8 percent from the field compared to just 43.4 percent in the first eight ACC games. NC State held first-half leads in five of those seven games, while holding opponents to 43 percent (86-of-200) shooting in the first half. In the second half of those games however, opponents shot 53.6 percent (104-of-194). The Pack also forced 9.3 turnovers in the first half of those games compared to just 6.3 TOs in the second half.
HOLDING ON
During its seven-game losing stretch, NC State held leads with six minutes left in four of those seven games. The Wolfpack also had scoreless droughts of more than five minutes in four of those seven games.
Opponent Score (Time) Run Score (Time) Maryland 65-53 (6:44, 2nd) 25-8 73-78 (Final) North Carolina 20-12 (8:07, 1st) 28-14 34-40 (13:50) Virginia 66-65 (6:07, 2nd) 13-2 68-78 (1:52) Georgia Tech 42-31 (14:52, 2nd) 19-2 44-50 (9:01) Clemson 59-49 (7:09, 2nd) 13-0 59-62 (1:45)
KELLEY'S ABSENCE FELT
NC State was outrebounded in four of the seven games that Ron Kelley was sidelined after being outrebounded just four times before his knee injury. Kelley, who was averaging 9.5 points and 4.3 rebounds before the injury, missed five games and saw just three minutes of action against Arizona State due to the injury. Opposing centers (Lonnie Baxter, Brendan Haywood, Travis Watson, Darius Songaila and Carlos Boozer) averaged 21.2 points and 8.0 rebounds while he was out. Also during the stretch, NC State opponents scored an average of 31.9 *Points in the Paint* compared to just 21.7 *Points in the Paint* in other games this season.
Points in Paint NCS OPP before Kelley injury 29.1 22.6 during Kelley injury 30.0 31.9 Total = -8.4 points difference 2nd chance pts NCS OPP before Kelley injury 15.9 12.5 during Kelley injury 13.0 13.4 Total = -3.8 points difference REBOUNDS NCS OPP MARGIN before Kelley injury 38.1 34.1 +4.0 during Kelley injury 35.1 38.1 -3.0 OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS NCS OPP MARGIN before Kelley injury 14.9 11.8 +3.1 during Kelley injury 12.3 13.1 -0.8
PUTTING A FINGER ON IT
Since breaking the pinky finger on his right (shooting) hand prior to the Pack's game vs. Wake Forest (Feb. 15), junior Damon Thornton has made just 16-of-49 (32.7 percent) from the field. Thornton entered the game vs. the Deacs second in school history in field goal percentage shooting. He currently ranks third in school history, making 55.5 percent (282-of-508) for his career.
GRUNDY'S SCORING BINGE
Sophomore guard Anthony Grundy had 26 points vs. Duke (Feb. 19), then followed that performance with 29 points at Georgia Tech (Feb. 24), the second-highest outing of his career. In those two games, he shot 59.5 percent (22-of-37) from the field and 46.1 percent (6-of-13) from three-point range. Grundy has eclipsed the 20-point barrier three times this season and has been in double-figures 21 times in 29 games. He matched a career-high with four made three-pointers vs. Georgia Tech (also had four vs. Wake Forest on Jan. 16 en route to a career-high 30 points). Against Duke, Grundy attempted a career-high 21 field goals.
PLAYING BIG
Though he measures barely 6-2, Grundy plays much bigger. His wingspan is 6-6 (from fingertip to fingertip) while most people's is equal to their height. Those long arms have paid off on the glass, where Grundy is averaging nearly five rebounds per game this season. Grundy is tied for third in the ACC in steals, averaging 2.1 per game. He had a season-best seven steals vs. Georgia, the highest total by an ACC player this season. He has also drawn a team-high 15 charges this season.
