North Carolina State University Athletics
Wolfpack Men Fall 71-64 to Clemson
2/16/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
BY TIM PEELER
RALEIGH, N.C. NC State’s bid to come back from a double-digit halftime deficit fell short Saturday afternoon, as Clemson made enough free throws and played timely defense to win the physical contest.
After trailing by as many as 13 points in the first half, the Wolfpack (15-10 overall, 4-7 ACC) came back to build a three-point lead in the second half, thanks to inspired play by freshman J.J. Hickson and senior Gavin Grant. Junior Courtney Fells gave the Pack its only lead of the second half by hitting a 3-pointer with 3:27 to play.
But that was quickly answered by Clemson, and the two teams traded points until Terrence Oglesby hit a 3-pointer with 2:03 to play to give his team a two-point lead. The Wolfpack’s last-ditch effort seemed to fade when Hickson’s shot in the paint was blocked by Clemson’s Sam Perry.
"We played hard today," said NC State coach Sidney Lowe. "There isn't much I can't say about our effort. We lost the game mentally down the stretch. We fell defensively and gave them open looks."
Hickson finished with13 points and 23 rebounds, which is the most by an ACC player this season and the most ever by an ACC freshman. Grant led the Pack with 18 points, followed by Fells with 17.
"J.J. was incredible," Lowe said. "I told our guys at the half that if J.J. doesn't get the rebound, Clemson will. He played a great game with the other team pressing him."
Hickson's total was the most by a Wolfpack player since Tommy Burleson had 24 against Providence in the 1974 NCAA East Region semifinals against Providence, a game that was played in Reynolds Coliseum.
Clemson was led by K.C. Rivers, who scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half.
The Tigers led 34-23 at the half, despite hitting just 12 of its 40 field goals (30 percent) in the opening period. The Wolfpack managed to hit just seven of 26 shots (26.9 percent), missed all nine of its 3-point attempts and committed nine turnovers. The Tigers, meanwhile, made four 3-pointers and took a 27-21 advantage on the boards.
"I certainly wouldn't characterize this as a pretty win," said Tiger coach Oliver Purnell. "It was just a tough, ACC Saturday afternoon. Both teams struggled in the first half and our defense abandoned us for a while in the second half when they kept going inside to Hickson. We got into foul trouble, but our 1-3-1 defense worked pretty well for us."
The Wolfpack fought back with a couple of quick scoring bursts in the second half and tied the game at 55-55 with 6:24 to play on a pair of free throws by Grant. Fells gave his team its first lead of the second half with a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 3:27 to play.
At halftime, not only was the 1983 NCAA Championship team honored as part of the 25th anniversary of that season, but Lorenzo Charles, who made the game-winning dunk in the title game against Houston, had his No. 43 jersey honored by the school. It will join the 25 honored jersey and David Thompson’s No. 44 retired jersey in the rafters of the RBC Center next season.
The Wolfpack returns to action Wednesday against No. 5 North Carolina in a 7 p.m. contest at the RBC Center.
You may contact Tim Peeler at tim_peeler@ncsu.edu.
