North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State Downs Seton Hall, 79-73
12/27/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
BY TONY HAYNES
Getting the call to see his first action just four days after starting point guard Farnold Degan was declared out for the season, Marques Johnson offered a steady hand against the Hall’s relentless pressure.
Playing behind starter Javier Gonzalez, Johnson, seeing his first college action since his transfer from
It all added up to a happy locker room following NC State’s (8-3) fourth consecutive victory.
Johnson, a sophomore didn’t start, but was in there for the last several minutes in a tense, physical game that saw the lead change hands a total of 12 times with four ties.
“This feels good,” said Johnson, who was forced to sit out a year following his transfer. “I’ve been waiting about a year now and I’ve been hanging around, getting to know these guys. It definitely feels good to get out on the court and help them.”
The Pirates (8-3), as expected, pressed for the entire 40 minutes, but of NC State’s 18 turnovers, Johnson had only two.
“I really didn’t know what to expect,” said winning coach Sidney Lowe. “It’s his first game and we just talked about being solid. He did a great job. He did so well that I left him in there and let him finish the ballgame for us.”
As has been the case lately, Grant played his best when the Wolfpack needed him most. Seventeen of the senior’s game-high 23 points came in the second half, including a couple of decisive breakaway buckets in the final minute that sealed it when the Pack threw over the Seton Hall press.
Strong inside, Hickson finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds for his third double-double of the year. In helping the Pack grab a 35-32 lead at the break, Fells scored all 17 of his points in the opening half, including a highlight dunk that finished a beautiful two-on-one break.
Trailing by as many as six points in the second half, NC State never folded nor wilted in the face of a steady diet of zone presses. Seton Hall, which came in averaging 86 points, was slowed to a pace with which Lowe and NC State were more comfortable. The Wolfpack also kept the Pirates off-balance with some changing defenses that often had Seton Hall looking confused and befuddled.
“We didn’t want to get into a running game,” Lowe said. “If we got it over the top, we certainly wanted to attack. Late in the ballgame they really got aggressive and it allowed us to throw over the top for a couple of dunks.”
Hickson scored six straight points in a flurry that gave NC State a 61-58 lead with less than five minutes left. Grant then went to work, knocking down three of four free throws and the two easy buckets against the press. On a night when the Pack made only 2-of-11 from 3-point range, Grant also buried a big 3 and a foul after NC State had been down 52-46 at the 9:49 mark. Although his free throw to complete a four-point play missed, Ben McCauley was there for the put back for a five-point possession that cut the deficit down to just one.
Between them, McCauley (10 points) and Hickson (5-5) combined for 23 points and 9-of-12 shooting from the post spot. As a team, NC State shot 55.6 percent (30-of-54) and outrebounded the Pirates 41-31.
Seton Hall placed four players in double figures, led by Eugene Harvey’s 20 points. Brian Laing added 17, center John Garcia 16 and Paul Gause 11.
Following a sluggish and often frustrating start to its season, NC State seems to be coming together as a basketball team, even in the aftermath of the knee injury that knocked Degand out for the year.
On Thursday, the Pack certainly picked up its most satisfying win to date.
“It’s very satisfying,” Lowe said. “We had guys step up in a tough situation. For Javier and Marques to come in and on the road to do well, is really satisfying.”
