North Carolina State University Athletics
Bennerman Plays Most Complete Game Of His Career
3/12/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 12, 2005
BY TIM PEELER
WASHINGTON -- It's been a difficult season for NC State junior Cameron Bennerman. He missed five games earlier this season with an elbow injury. He had a much-discussed game at Virginia in which he did not play at all, even though he was healthy and available.
So, coming into the ACC Tournament, Bennerman had played in only 69 minutes in the Wolfpack's last 12 games, scoring just 27 points. But two games into this weekend's action at the MCI Center, the junior from Greensboro has scored 29 points in 59 minutes of action.
His performance against second-seeded Wake Forest Friday night was the most complete game of his career. Besides his 17 points, Bennerman did all the things needed from him to overcome the loss of junior point guard Tony Bethel, who missed the 81-65 victory over the Demon Deacons with a pulled groin. He added a career-high eight rebounds, plus a couple of blocked shots and a steal.
"I think Cam played great tonight," said Julius Hodge, who had 22 points and eight rebounds himself in the upset win. "He is definitely a gamer. Whenever we have to have big games, he is always stepping up and doing his job.
"We needed him to do that, to play well, to play good defense on Justin Gray, which he did, and to help out with the rebounding and the passing down low. He did everything Coach told him to do."
Bennerman admits that things haven't always been smooth during his career with the Wolfpack. But there have also been some major highlights, beginning with last year's regular-season final against Wake Forest, when he stepped in for an injured Scotter Sherrill and scored 16 points.
In last year's ACC tournament, he added another 17 points, just as he did on Friday.
"I could write a book," Bennerman said, with a slight smile. "I might write it at the end of the season."
This season has definitely been a roller-coaster. Though he started only one of the Wolfpack's first 12 games, he scored 20 points against Campbell and 24 against Columbia. He moved into the starting lineup when Bethel was out with a mysterious intestinal ailment, but gradually assumed a lesser scoring role and returned to the bench.
"I don't know why things happen the way they have," Bennerman said. "My whole career has been kind of up and down, for whatever reason. I haven't necessarily had a smooth ride here, but I have enjoyed it.
"I know that you have to go through struggles to develop some kind of character in the long run."
So now, Bennerman is playing well again. The Wolfpack is in its seventh ACC semifinals in the last nine years, and has now made a strong case for getting its fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament bid. Things seem to be looking up.
"I had some big games earlier this season and I think that is what made coming back from the injury so hard," Bethel said. "I wanted to start back from where I left off.
"Now we have some people hurt and I am back on the court. I hope everybody on gets healthy and we can keep this going."
Bennerman started his first game since the Jan. 19 game against Virginia Tech. He hit his only 3-pointer a minute into the game, then helped the Wolfpack battle Wake on the boards.
While freshman Andrew Brackman came off the bench to contribute 16 second-half points, Bennerman's efforts were critical in beating the Demon Deacons for the fourth time in six games.
State was ahead by 10 in the second half - a dangerous position for the Wolfpack at times this year - and knew it needed to withstand a Demon Deacon comeback. Bennerman helped prevent it, first by getting a key offensive rebound on a Gavin Grant missed shot.
Then he got a layup off an Evtimov feed, and finished up his mini-flurry by throwing a perfect pass to Julius Hodge for a dunk that gave State a 14-point lead with three minutes to play.
Those were critical contributions on a team that has had trouble holding second half leads.
"On and off the court, I made sure my head was ready," Bennerman said. "I made sure my game was ready."
You may contact Tim Peeler at tim_peeler@ncsu.edu.
