North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State
Hartford
NC State Handles Hartford, 78-49
12/13/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec 13, 2003
By Tony Haynes
Raleigh, N.C.--NC State's return to storied Reynolds Coliseum opened with coach Herb Sendek honoring former Wolfpack coach Norm Sloan, who passed away earlier this week at the age of 77. Before a moment of silence, Sendek placed one of Sloan's trademark plaid jackets over a chair that would remain unoccupied at the end of the Pack bench. Then after draping the jacket, Sendek watched his team put a defensive drape over Hartford in a 78-49 victory over the Hawks (2-3). Marcus Melvin scored 20 points for NC State, while freshman Mike O'Donnell and Julius Hodge added 16 apiece as the Wolfpack improved to 5-1 on the season.
Along with forcing 26 turnovers that led to 29 points, NC State also held the Hawks to just 37 percent shooting (17-46) with an active man-to-man defense that yielded very few good looks at the basket.
"I thought we had a pretty good defensive effort," Sendek said. "We came out of the gates strong and I thought it was probably our most consistent 40 minutes on the defensive end."
Particularly frustrated by the Wolfpack defense was Hartford's leading scorer Aaron Cook, whose only points came on a 3-point basket in the first half. Sharing the duties on Cooke, Scooter Sherrill, Cameron Bennerman and Julius Hodge teamed up to hold the 18.3 points per game scorer to just 1-of-10 shooting from the floor.
Coming off a career-high 27 points in a victory over Wisconsin-Milwaukee last weekend, Melvin continued his hot offensive production by scoring 12 of his team's first 20 points as the Wolfpack opened up an 11-point advantage over the first 8 and ? minutes.
Melvin was part of a different starting line-up that also included O'Donnell, Sherrill, Levi Watkins, and rookie Engin Atsur. Two of the Pack's biggest stars - Julius Hodge and Ilian Evtimov - didn't enter the game until midway through the opening half.
"We just really put a lot of emphasis on what happens in practice," Sendek said. "We just felt like that group coming into today deserved to start."
After falling behind by 11 early, Hartford did crawl back within 27-21 with 4:21 remaining in the half, thanks primarily to a two-three zone defense that gave NC State some problems.
"There were too many possessions where we were too content to keep the ball on the perimeter," Sendek said. "I think we had some success when we got the ball to the pressure points of the zone. If we would have done that more consistently, we probably would have scored at a greater rate."
On a day when NC State made only 8-of-32 from 3-point range, O'Donnell was able to find the mark, hitting 5-of-8 from the arc. O'Donnell's shooting and overall effort brought the small but vocal crowd of 5,287 to its feet on several occasions.
"All I can say is it was awesome," O'Donnell said when asked about playing at Reynolds for the first time. "It was just an unbelievable experience and I'll remember it for the rest of my life."
After Hartford pulled within six, NC State would outscore the Hawks 12-3 over the final four minutes to grab a 39-24 advantage at the half. The Wolfpack would continue to pull away in the second 20 minutes, leading by as many as 33 when O'Donnell drilled another bomb with 1:40 showing on the clock.
NC State shot just 41 percent from the field (25-of-61), but really didn't need to be on the mark on this day, not with its defense clamping down on a Hartford team that had too many possessions end with a turnover instead of a shot.
"I guess 26 turnovers pretty much summarizes the game, especially when you're not pressed," said Hawks head coach Larry Harrison. "They were more physical and a little tougher than our guys today. I'm disappointed that we didn't respond as physically as I would have hoped. We pride ourselves on being physically and mentally tough, but today we just didn't have it."
With 14 points, forward Jerell Parker was the only Hartford player to reach double figures.
The game at Reynolds Coliseum, the 767th for NC State at the venerable arena, culminated a week in which the entire Wolfpack basketball family mourned the death of Sloan, who guided the Pack to the 1974 national title. Sendek, who had become very close to Sloan in recent years, fought back tears in the pregame ceremony during which he gently placed the plaid jacket over a chair at midcourt.
"I was just extremely humbled and grateful to be in a position to be a part of such a significant moment in time," Sendek said. "I was overwhelmed with emotion and touched very deeply by that important remembrance of an extraordinary man."
