HAYNES: NC State Seeks to Avenge Loss to ECU

BY TONY HAYNES

At the time it happened, NC State’s first visit to East Carolina for a men’s basketball game appeared to be a forgettable experience. But as it turns out, last December’s shocking 75-69 loss to the Pirates in Greenville hasn’t been forgotten at all.

In fact, Wolfpack coach Sidney Lowe wants his team to remember what it felt like to become the first ever ACC team to lose to ECU. Those memories also include a sputtering finish that ultimately led to a long, painful walk to the locker-room as jubilant East Carolina fans spilled onto the court to celebrate their team’s first basketball win over the Pack in 18 tries.

“It’s always tough to lose a ball game and certainly when you are playing an in-state team and guys have to see their friends and families and neighbors. It was a tough loss for us,” Lowe said. “Hopefully we can bounce back. They are going to be tough again. They will be coming in here with a lot of confidence.”

To describe this year’s East Carolina team as “confident” might be an understatement. The Pirates will carry an 8-1 record and a five-game winning streak into the RBC Center when they tangle with the Pack (5-1) Wednesday night at 7 p.m.

In their 97-53 thrashing of UNC-Greensboro over the weekend, the Pirates placed seven players in double-figures, while also drilling 15-of-29 shots from the 3-point line.

“They are a very good ball club,” Lowe said. “They have lost a couple of guys, but they might be even better this year, just watching how they play and play together. Those are things we talk about with our team. We are going to need to play well to beat them.”

Streaky shooting guard Sam Hinnant, a Raleigh native who torched the Pack with six 3-pointers and 30 points last year, is again looking to fire at every opportunity this season, averaging 17.4 points per game and hitting 40 percent of his 3-point attempts. Another guard, James Legan, is even more unconscious, drilling 47 percent from the arc.

The shooting of Legan and Hinnant have helped savvy point guard Brock Young dish out an average of 8.6 assists per contest, a figure that ranks No. 1 in the NCAA.

Clearly, something will have to give on Wednesday. ECU is putting up an average of 82.6 points per contest to rank 13^th in the nation in scoring offense. On the flip side, NC State owns the 12^th best scoring defense in the latest NCAA statistics, holding its opponents to 55.5 points per game.

It remains to be seen if the Wolfpack will have all of its weapons available on Wednesday. Forward Courtney Fells missed Saturday's win over Winston-Salem State with an akle injury, while back-up center Tracy Smith was obviously hampered by an injury to the back of his knee. During his weekly radio show on Monday night, Lowe said that neither Fells nor Smith were able to practice on Monday. Lowe also added that he had not yet decided whether he’d allow point guard Farnold Degand to play against the Pirates. Citing disciplinary reasons, Lowe held Degand out Saturday's contest.

Fells’ availability could be particularly crucial in this game given East Carolina’s perimeter prowess. Clearly the Wolfpack’s best outside defender, Fells would likely be matched up against the shot-hunting Hinnant. With 85 3-point baskets (15^th in the NCAA) already this season, the Pirates aren’t shy about firing away from long-range.

In last year’s win over NC State, ECU knocked down 10-18 from the arc.

And as much as they would like forget their evening in Greenville, center Ben McCauley and the Pack will be trying to funnel some painful memories into positive motivation for Wednesday night.

“It was a tough place to play,” said McCauley, NC State’s leader in scoring (15.2 ppg.) and rebounding (9.3). “To lose down there, nothing against ECU, is not something NC State has done or should do. Unfortunately we did, and they played well. That game is over. We all kind of have it in the back of our minds that we owe them one. We are going to do everything that we can from practice to game time to go out and make a statement that we are ready to play and it is not going to be like last year.”

Even though the game will not be televised, fans can watch the game live and on-demand on ACCSelect.com.

North Carolina State University Athletics

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