North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State
Florida State
Wolfpack Cruise Past Seminoles, 86-64
2/15/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 15, 2006
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Cameron Bennerman almost didn't know what to do. For the first time in three weeks, No. 21 North Carolina State had some breathing room at the end of a game.
It ended the Wolfpack's stretch where five games were decided by a total of 27 points, two going to double overtime.
"I feel incomplete," he said. "I feel like there's another half to play or something. But I guess we deserve this."
Engin Atsur had five of the Wolfpack's 13 3-pointers and scored 19 points to help them avoid their first losing streak of the season with an 86-64 victory over Florida State on Wednesday night.
N.C. State (20-5, 9-3) finished with at least 12 3s for the fourth straight game and solidified its hold on second place in the Atlantic Coast Conference behind Duke (12-0). This is the fastest the Wolfpack have reached 20 wins since 1974, when they started 20-1 on their way to the NCAA title.
"I'm sorry we didn't do it sooner," coach Herb Sendek said. "It was a great effort by our team."
Cedric Simmons had 14 points, Tony Bethel added 13 and Cameron Bennerman and Andrew Brackman each scored 12 in another balanced effort for the Wolfpack. Atsur had eight assists.
Forward Ilian Evtimov didn't play in the second half because of a sprained foot, but he hardly was missed. The Wolfpack made a season-high 15 3s five games ago against Clemson, and after hitting only seven in the next game, they have 49 in the past four.
Bennerman had three, while Bethel and Evtimov each made two.
"Coach always teaches us on defense to close out with a high hand and take away that shot," Bennerman said. "If you're on offense, if a defender doesn't do that, then you're at liberty to shoot the 3. It's just confidence."
Whatever it was helped the Wolfpack shoot 63.6 percent, their highest in an ACC game since hitting 64.3 percent against Georgia Tech on Feb. 22, 1996. Of their 15 baskets that counted for two points, 14 came in the paint.
"We just keep running that N.C. State offense," quipped Sendek, a not-too-subtle shot at those who criticize his team's Princeton-like system.
Alexander Johnson had 15 points and Al Thornton scored 14 for the Seminoles (15-7, 5-6), who ended a 26-game road losing streak in the ACC last season at N.C. State. They had little chance in this one.
"When we made mistakes, they made us pay," Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton said. "Most times you have one game like this per year, and hopefully, this will be our only one."
N.C. State led 29-27 late in the first half before taking control. And, yes, most of the damage was done from long range. Atsur and Brackman made consecutive 3s before Atsur capped a 16-0 run with another one, and the margin had ballooned to 18 points.
"It happened so quick," Thornton said. "We turned the ball over a couple of times, they made 3s on the other end, and just like that, we're out of the game."
Freshman Courtney Fells had a surprising contribution, too. He hadn't even gotten off the bench in eight of the previous 10 games, yet found himself on the court for a brilliant 3-minute stretch as the Wolfpack pulled away. He scored inside, got a steal on the other end, then followed up a miss by Bethel that led to a three-point play.
That made it 40-27, and Florida State made only a brief rally after halftime. It was aided greatly by a technical foul on Atsur, normally one of the most levelheaded players in the conference. But after he had a turnover, he quickly was called for a foul, and he apparently said something referee Jamie Luckie didn't appreciate.
"That was my first technical in my life, I never disrespect anyone," Atsur said. "I don't think I deserved it, but there's nothing I can do about it."
Ralph Mims converted both free throws to cut the lead to 58-38, and the Seminoles eventually got within 15 midway through the second half. Atsur helped N.C. State stretch it again with another 3, and Bennerman drove end-to-end for a three-point play.
"They started pressing, and we were a little careless with the ball and had some turnovers," Atsur said. "But we never let them come back."
