North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State
Florida State
Wolfpack Falls at FSU, 84-71
1/15/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 15, 2011
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Bernard James hit all eight of his field goal attempts to score a career-high 16 points Saturday as Florida State captured an 84-71 win over North Carolina State.
The Seminoles (13-5, 3-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) led 28-19 at the half and never looked back as they followed up Wednesday's 66-61 win over top-ranked Duke with no sign of a letdown.
Florida State shot 54.5 percent (30 of 55) from the floor and all five starters scored in double figures. Michael Snaer added 13 points and Terrance Shannon 12 along with a career-best nine rebounds for the Seminoles, who led by as many as 22 in the second half.
Tracy Smith scored 19 points and Ryan Harrow 17 for North Carolina State (11-6, 1-2), which shot just 38.7 percent (24 of 62).
The Seminoles never trailed and led comfortably throughout the second half on their way to a third straight ACC home victory.
"I was very disappointed," said NC State head coach Sidney Lowe. "The second half was one of the worst defensive halves I've seen in a long time. We didn't fight hard enough or play with enough toughness. We started fighting a little later on, but by then it was too late."
Florida State had six different players to score baskets in a 12-0 that gave the Seminoles a 28-16 lead late in the half. The Wolfpack had tied the game at 16 on a Lorenzo Brown jumper with 6:17 left in the half.
N.C. State shot just 26.7 percent in the opening half and couldn't handle Florida State's inside game where Shannon's eight points helped the Seminoles outscore the Wolfpack 20-6 in the paint.
Derwin Kitchen, who scored 22 points in the win over Duke, and Chris Singleton each scored 11 points for the Seminoles. Deividas Dulkys snapped out of a monthlong shooting slump with eight points, including a pair of 3-point baskets, and 7-foot Jon Kreft added a career-best seven points in relief of James.
"Scott [Wood] did a great job with Singleton," said Lowe. "I thought Javier [Gonzalez] and Ryan [Harrow] did well on Kitchen. They just had other guys step up, and that's the thing with physical play. They played hard and physical to beat us, and we can't allow them to do that."
The 6-10 James, who is shooting 67.3 percent on the season, scored all of his points close to the basket including several dunks.
Wood, who burned Florida State for 31 points in a Wolfpack victory a year ago, got his first 3-pointer at the 11:11 mark of the opening half and was fouled, converting the free throw for a four-point play. Wood made seven from long range in last year's game in Tallahassee.
Wood and C.J. Leslie each finished with 10 points for the Wolfpack, who won both games against Florida State last season.
"We're going to keep battling," said Lowe. "I talked to the guys and told them that this is what it's all about. We have to bring it every night if we want to be successful."
