North Carolina State University Athletics
Miami Tops NC State, 80-65
2/10/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By Tony Haynes
Coral Gables – While flashy guards Anthony Harris and Jack McClinton did their usual damage on Saturday, it was an unheralded forward named Keaton Copeland who set the tone throughout Miami’s 80-65 victory over NC State in front of an announced crowd of 3,099 at BankUnited Center.
Pressed into duty because a rash of injuries that has depleted the Hurricanes’ frontline, the 6-5, 242-pound Copeland showed up with a blue-collar, hardhat mentality that helped Miami (10-15, 3-8) end its seven-game losing skid.
Copeland only scored six points, but his 13 rebounds – including nine on the offensive glass – led a board-crashing party that sent NC State (13-10, 3-7) to its second conference loss in as many games. With Copeland leading the way, Miami outrebounded the Wolfpack 42-to-25, and scored 19 second-chance points off of 21 offensive rebounds.
The superior board-work allowed the ‘Canes to finish with 17 more shot attempts than the Pack.
“We talked about the boards over and over again the last couple of days,” said NC State head coach Sidney Lowe. “We talked about boxing out and we talked about Copeland and what he does. He basically manhandled us. We didn’t respond.”
Prior to Saturday, Copeland's best rebounding game was against Maryland on January 10 when he snagged five. He was averaging 1.5 rebounds per contest before looking like the second coming of Dennis Rodman against the Pack.
Quick off the dribble and accurate from the 3-point line, Harris and McClinton shared scoring honors for Miami with 18 points apiece. Joined by Denis Clemente, who finished with 10 points and four assists, the Miami guards constantly broke down the Wolfpack defense off the dribble in the first half, forcing big men Ben McCauley and Brandon Costner to help off of Copeland and Dwayne Collins, who corralled 10 boards for the ‘Canes.
“They’ve got great guard play on that team,” said McCauley, who led NC State with 19 points and six rebounds. “They were getting to the hole and creating for themselves and their teammates. Our bigs had to step up and help and the guys we were guarding got those rebounds and tip dunks.”
Still hampered by a hamstring injury, Wolfpack senior Engin Atsur was often challenged to keep either Harris or Clemente in front of him. Playing only 12 minutes in the second half, Atsur gave way to freshman Trevor Ferguson, who spent a great deal of time at the point guard spot over the last several minutes of the game.
“Engin was having a tough time,” Lowe said. “He was having a tough time moving laterally and they were going right at him. Trevor did a nice job.”
Ferguson, in fact, was on the floor late in the second half when NC State went on an 11-0 spurt that cut Miami’s 16-point lead down to five with just over five minutes remaining. But on the Hurricanes’ next possession, Harris buried the shot of the game, a deep 3-pointer from the left wing with 4:42 left that gave Miami a 66-58 lead.
“A 3-pointer is always rough to get over, especially at that time when we were making our run,” McCauley said. “For him to hit a big shot like that, it definitely takes the air out of you. Unfortunately, he got an open shot and he made it.”
After Harris’ three, the Wolfpack would never get closer than six the rest of the way.
Joining McCauley in double figures for NC State were Costner (13 points), Courtney Fells (12) and Atsur (10).
Hitting 22-of-46 from the field, the Pack shot 47.8 percent for the game and finished with 12 turnovers. Miami hit 46 percent of its field goal attempts, including 56 percent in the second half. The Hurricanes only turned the ball over nine times.
