North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State
Virginia
Wolfpack Shoots Down Virginia, 86-69
12/28/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec 28, 2003
By Tony Haynes
Raleigh, N.C.--Speaking about his team's low shooting percentage from the 3-point arc on Saturday, NC State coach Herb Sendek said it was just a matter of time before his long-range marksmen would start to get into a groove. On Sunday night, it happened. And when the Wolfpack caught fire, Virginia's eight-game winning streak went up in smoke. Seven different players hit from the arc and Julius Hodge led four players in double figures with 23 points as NC State toppled the Cavaliers 86-69 in the ACC opener for both schools. Senior Scooter Sherrill added 17, Marcus Melvin 14 and Levi Watkins 13 points as the Wolfpack (6-2, 1-0) handed Virginia its first loss of the season.
The Cavaliers, it seems, are always the perfect tonic for NC State shooting woes. In winning six of the last seven in the series, the Wolfpack had posted some of its best offensive nights in recent years in games against Uva. On Sunday, the Pack, which had made just 31 percent of its 3-point attempts through the first seven games, knocked down 50.8 percent of its shots (30-of-59) including a sizzling 57.7 percent during a 48-point second half. Just as impressively, NC State got its shooting eye back from long-range, hitting 11-of-27 for the game and 7-of-15 in the second half.
"We've just got too many shooters not to shoot the ball well," Sendek said. "You can't assemble a group of shooters like we have and not shoot the ball well sooner or later. Our guys can put the ball in the basket and our offense can work efficiently. Tonight in the second half it was tremendous."
It was especially tremendous early in the second half when a total of six different players got in on the act of knocking down 3's. Leading by five at the break, the Wolfpack drained eight of its first 10 shots to open the second half - including those six 3-pointers -to push its advantage out to nine points. Up 70-63 with 5:45 left, the Pack then got a 15-footer from Melvin and tough off-balance layup by Hodge that produced a 3-point play to push its lead out to double-figures.
"I think the key part of the game was when we were down 54-50 and then they just got hot," said Virginia coach Pete Gillen, whose team has now dropped six consecutive ACC openers. "It seemed like they hit three or four 3's and we couldn't match them. They played very well. I've got to give them a lot of credit."
Sherrill, who had gone 0-11 from 3-point range over his previous three games, adjusted his plan of attack early and got a handful of points with drives to the basket. But when his teammates started bombing away in the second half, the senior got into the act himself by stepping out and hitting his only 3-pointer of the game.
"We had six different guys hit 3's in the second half, so that's a lot of confidence going to every player," Sherrill said. "The crowd got into it and we fed off of them."
And once it built a double-figure advantage, NC State wasn't about to let Virginia's 3-point specialists loose on the perimeter. Switching on hand-offs and ball-screens, the Wolfpack scrambled on defense and made sure sharpshooters like Devin Smith, Todd Billet and Derrick Byers wouldn't get loose over the final seven minutes. During one key stretch in the second half, the Cavaliers missed 15 of 18 shots.
Although he scored only four points, Wolfpack freshman Engin Atsur was one of the stars of the night, coming up with five assists, two steals and 10 second half deflections that led to many of Virginia's 18 turnovers.
"Engin was sensational on defense in the second half," Sendek said. "He saved so many baskets for us because his hands got on the ball. For a freshman, he was unbelievable."
While NC State was lights out from the 3-point arc, Virginia made just three of its 19 attempts from the stripe. Overall, the Cavaliers were 27-of-61 from the floor for 44.3 percent.
Fighting double teams in the low post most of the night, Virginia center Elton Brown had 18 points that were offset to a certain degree by seven turnovers. Smith finished with 14, Gary Forbes had 11, while Byers and Billet tallied 10 apiece for the Cavaliers, who lost their fifth straight game at the RBC Center.
After going down with what was eventually diagnosed as a bruised knee midway through the second half, NC State freshman guard Mike O'Donnell returned to the bench and was given clearance to check back in.
