North Carolina State University Athletics
MBB Remains Undefeated With 69-52 Win over New Orleans
11/29/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
BY TIM PEELER
RALEIGH, N.C. – Midway through the second half of Sunday afternoon's game between NC State and New Orleans, Wolfpack coach Sidney Lowe called a time out to give his team an earful. He had done the same thing in the first half, spurring his team to take a 34-24 lead into intermission.
But the Privateers took advantage of the Wolfpack's forced shots and lax defense and cut State's lead to just seven points.
Lowe specifically addressed his starting point guard, junior Javi Gonzalez, telling him to be more aggressive with the ball.
"He told me I was being passive on the offensive end," said Gonzalez, who had 13 points and eight assists against the Privateers. "He told me we should make plays and do more things with the ball. He told us that we can't make Tracy [Smith] do all the work on the offensive end."
So Gonzalez took the advice to heart. He drained a pair of 3-point shots and then fed Smith on an easy drop-step jumper in the lane. It was an 8-0 scoring burst in a decisive 15-4 run. From there, the Wolfpack (5-0) cruised to a 69-52 victory at the RBC Center to remain undefeated this season.
Now, as December nears, the schedule becomes much more difficult. Tuesday night, Lowe and his team host Northwestern in the ACC-Big 10 Challenge and Saturday they travel to play at Marquette. In less than three weeks, on Dec. 20, the Pack will open its ACC season at Wake Forest, then travel to Arizona two days before Christmas.
But Lowe is pleased with the way his team is playing. Gonzalez has settled in at point guard and Smith has proven to be an effective inside scorer and rebounder. He had 20 points and eight rebounds Sunday against New Orleans, leading four Wolfpack players in double-figure scoring.
Sophomore C.J. Williams scored 12 points and senior Dennis Horner had 10.
As a team, the Wolfpack was active on defense, forcing 13 Privateer turnovers, blocking 12 shots and holding New Orleans to just 34.9 percent from the field.
"The defense was solid the whole game," Lowe said. "We want to try to do that every game, keep our hands active and keep our hands on the ball, with our bigs protecting the basket and giving us the opportunity to get out and run.
"Our success this year is going to be based on our ability to play defense. You have to defend well to play on this level. "
Offensively, the Wolfpack made 47.7 percent of its shots from the floor.
More importantly, the team continued to play with the same chemistry that helped it win the Glen Wilkes Classic last weekend in Daytona Beach, Fla. For both Lowe and the players, that's the biggest news of the early season.
"I don't think anybody on the team is selfish," Smith said. "This year, nobody is out for their own. We are all on the same page and we all want to win.
"It shows in the way we play defense. We have been doing pretty well, but we can do better."
The Privateers (3-2) were led by Charles Carmouche with 16 points and eight rebounds. No other New Orleans player hit double figures.
The Wolfpack also got a boost in its depth with the return of freshman Richard Howell, who had missed most preseason workouts and the team's first four games following knee surgery. He saw his first action of the season, scoring a pair of free throws in his seven minutes of playing time. In all, Lowe used a dozen players in Sunday's non-conference victory.
And while none of the team's five wins has come against ACC-caliber competition, the Wolfpack is gaining confidence, undeterred by the low expectations have been predicted from the outside.
"People have us finishing last in the ACC," Smith said. "They don't think we are going to be that great. I think we are going to be pretty good. We are all on the same page."
You may contact Tim Peeler at tim_peeler@ncsu.edu.
