North Carolina State University Athletics
Tony Haynes: Wolfpack Heats Up Boston
1/11/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 11, 2006
By Tony Haynes
Boston - With temperatures hitting the upper 40s Tuesday afternoon in Boston, the locals were enjoying unseasonably warm weather for this time of year. But the real heat wave didn't hit until 18th ranked NC State arrived at Conte Forum on the campus of Boston College. Hitting a sizzling 69.6 percent of its shots in the second half and 63.4 percent for the game, the Wolfpack posted its most lopsided road victory over a ranked ACC team....ever. The final was 78-60 as the Pack improved to 13-2 overall and 2-1 in the ACC. The sizzling performance ruined 15th ranked Boston College's first ever league game in its home arena.
Whether it was getting inside baskets from Cedric Simmons or 3-point shots from a variety of shooters, NC State simply couldn't miss, especially in the second half. The basket must have looked as big as the void left in Boston by center fielder Johnny Damon's jump from the Red Sox to the Yankees.
The body of work joined other strong outings the Pack has put together this season, namely wins over the likes of Notre Dame, Alabama and George Washington.
"I think our guys did a good job of playing very, very good offensive basketball tonight," said winning coach Herb Sendek. "In the first half, it seemed like we got a lot of baskets off of dribble penetration. In the second half, it seemed like we got a lot of baskets off of low post play, in particular inside to Ced."
Simmons continued his remarkable sophomore evolution with perhaps his best game against one of the ACC's most physical front lines. After going without a field goal in the first half, he was perfect after intermission, hitting all six of his shots from the floor, while also knocking down all four of his free throws. In addition, six of Simmons' seven rebounds came in the second 20 minutes. The stat sheet looked this way for the big guy: 17 points, seven rebounds, and two blocked shots. But that doesn't even measure the number of shots he changed around the basket.
"Ced was sensational," Sendek said. "Not only the baskets he scored, but the presence he gives us. It's hard to overestimate how that opens things up for other people."
Simmons' improvement shows up in just about every area, even free throw shooting. Once a liability at the line, the 6-9 center has made 16 of his last 19 free throws over the last four games. It's an important statistic because Simmons has gone to the line more than any other Pack player this season.
Simmons also played a big role in making it more difficult for the inside-oriented Eagles to get baskets in the paint. Although B.C. stars Craig Smith (14 points) and Jared Dudley (16) scored 30 points between them, they combined for only 11-of-34 shooting from the floor.
Amazingly, the Wolfpack won the category of "points in the paint" 30 to 20.
"We knew they were a big and physical team," Simmons said. "We had to defend inside before we defended on the outside. We just tried to stay a step ahead of them. Our coaching staff challenged us to be tough."
The Wolfpack was plenty tough, especially mentally. Not flinching after sustaining a disappointing loss at North Carolina on Saturday, NC State got back to work, didn't dwell on the past and bounced back to play one of its best games of the year.
"Our guys didn't feel good about the way we played on Saturday, and that doesn't discount the job that North Carolina did," said Sendek. "We played against a good team and we felt we didn't play our best. But with a short turnaround, the guys got right back to work on Sunday morning and came up here and got a big win against a nationally ranked team on the road."
Balance continues to be a big key for NC State. On a night when senior leader Ilian Evtimov missed both of his shots and went scoreless, the Wolfpack still had five players in double figures. Simmons was followed down the line by Cameron Bennerman with 14, Engin Atsur and Andrew Brackman with 13 apiece, and Tony Bethel who tallied 12.
A second after the buzzer sounded on Tuesday night, NC State's Gavin Grant casually flipped the ball towards the basket from about 30-feet away. Naturally, the ball hit nothing but net. And even though it didn't count, the shot was symbolic of what kind of hot night it had been for the Pack.
