North Carolina State University Athletics
Georgia Tech Defense Wrecks NC State, 74-65
2/7/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
ATLANTA,
Overcoming its early defensive problems, the Yellow Jackets (15-8, 4-6) outscored the Pack 29-9 over the last 14:17 to wipe out a double-digit deficit and post a 74-65 victory in front of 9,191 at Alexander Memorial Coliseum.
Among other things, the wild ACC contest featured a 75-foot 3-point basket by Georgia Tech freshman Javaris Crittenton right before halftime and the first technical foul called on NC State head coach Sidney Lowe.
Crittenton led Tech with 21 points, while four others also reached double-figures.
But it was the Yellow Jackets’ ferocious full-court pressure that ultimately made Tuesday’s game a tale of two halves.
After Ben McCauley’s layup off a feed by Gavin Grant gave NC State a 56-45 lead with 14:17 remaining, the Wolfpack (13-9, 3-6) would not get another field goal until McCauley’s follow shot more than 11 minutes later. That would be the Pack’s only field goal over the last 14-plus minutes.
Using his superior depth to substitute freely, Jackets coach Paul Hewitt kept the heat on with relentless fullcourt pressure that allowed his team to score 16 points off of 11 Wolfpack turnovers in the second half.
“They were running two or three guys in there, and they probably had four different guys guard Engin [Atsur],” Lowe said. “They were very aggressive in the second half, very aggressive.”
Tech went on an 18-0 run to turn its 11-point deficit into a 63-56 advantage with just under seven minutes to play.
By scoring almost at will on drives, post-ups and offensive rebounds during its run, the Jackets also had a chance to set up their press, often making it difficult for the Pack to even get the ball across the timeline.
NC State point guard Engin Atsur, getting his third straight start since coming back from a hamstring injury, continued to go up against a changing cast of quick, athletic defenders who wore the senior down. Mario West, D’Andre Bell and even freshman forward Thaddeus Young took turns dogging Atsur, making it difficult for him to get NC State into any semblance of an offense.
“One time we tried to get him a blow but as soon as we did that, we turned the ball over,” said Lowe. “It’s a catch-22 situation. What we tried to do was to run some sets and get the ball out of his hands some. He was going as long as he could. They did a nice job.”
All of Atsur’s six assists came in the first half, many on beautifully executed pick and rolls with McCauley. But down the stretch in the second half, Atsur rarely had an opportunity to get the ball in scoring position against Tech’s smothering ball-pressure.
“For us not to be able to get across halfcourt, that takes us out of our offense,” McCauley said. “Them getting turnovers in the backcourt that gave them wide open layups and dunks gave them more confidence. We couldn’t get into our offense.”
Along with his outstanding defense, Young scored 15 points to go along with seven rebounds. Zach Peacock added 11, Alade Aminu 10 and Jeremis Smith 10 for the Yellow Jackets, who won their second straight ACC game after losing four in a row.
After everything that had gone wrong for NC State in the second half, the Wolfpack was only down by five points when Brandon Costner drained a pair of free throws with 2:10 left. Thirty seconds later, however, Young nailed the coffin shut with a running jumper in the lane that gave Georgia Tech a 72-65 lead.
“NC State is a good team,” Hewitt said. “Obviously, they're a little short-handed right now, but they're very well-coached. We're very happy to get this win, especially in the fashion that we did. I'm glad to see us get back to playing tough, physical, energetic basketball. I can't tell you how happy I am with how these guys played tonight.”Crittenton undoubtedly earned ESPN’s play of the day when he took an inbounds pass in the backcourt with just 1.6 seconds remaining in the opening half and let fly with a 75-foot heave that hit nothing but net to cut NC State’s lead down to 43-35 at the half.
“At halftime, we were saying that was just a lucky shot and we were still up by eight, so we still felt like it was our game to win or lose,” McCauley said. “I don’t think that really put any pressure on us.”
Georgia Tech was in the midst of its 18-0 run with 8:35 remaining when Lowe was hit with his first career technical foul for disputing a non-call by game officials. After Costner’s air-ball was batted around, Lowe contended that the ball had hit the rim and that the shot clock should have been reset. It wasn’t and the Wolfpack eventually was called for a shot clock violation.
Crittenton nailed the two technical free throws to tie the game at 56 apiece.
“I thought when Gavin rebounded it and touched the ball it had hit the rim under there,” Lowe said. ‘I think someone said they saw the replay and said it did. I felt that the clock should have been reset.”
Costner and Gavin Grant shared scoring honors for NC State with 17 points each. McCauley, who made 8-of-10 shots, chipped in with 16 and Courtney Fells finished with 13 points, all coming in a first half in which the Pack shot 58.6 percent.
In the opening half, NC State freshman Dennis Horner left the floor with a towel covering his nose following a collision with Crittenton under the basket. Bleeding heavily after the play, Horner had a cut on the side of his nose stitched up before returning to the bench. He did play briefly in the second half.
