North Carolina State University Athletics
Wolfpack Hosts Louisiana Tech Tuesday Night
12/22/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
| NC State (9-3) vs. Louisiana Tech (8-3) | ||
| Date | Tuesday, Dec. 23 | |
| Time | 7 p.m. ET | |
| Location | PNC Arena - Raleigh, N.C. | |
| Tickets | Tickets | |
| Television | ESPN3 (Patrick Kinas, Stan Lewder) | |
| Radio | Wolfpack Sports Network (Gary Hahn, Tony Haynes) | |
| Game Notes | NC State | Louisiana Tech | |
| Season Statistics | NC State | Louisiana Tech | |
| Live Stats | GameTracker | |
| Social Media | @PackMensBball  | Facebook  |
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The Starting 5 - The Top 5 Storylines For This Game
1. A WINNING HOLIDAY
Every basketball coach in America wants to go into his holiday break on a winning note. NC State is 3-0 under Mark Gottfried in the game just before the team is able to take a holiday break. The Wolfpack has won the last four games heading into the holidays and hasn't lost since a 2009 loss at Arizona on Dec. 23 of that year.
2. WOLFPACK LED BY THE BACKCOURT
NC State is led by its three-guard attack, with Trevor Lacey, Ralston Turner and Cat Barber combining to score 44.0 points and 12.4 rebounds per game. Lacey leads the team and stands second in the ACC with 17.8 points per game. Turner, who exploded for 33 points this week vs. Tennessee, is averaging 14.4 points per game. Barber, State's starting point guard, is scoring 11.9 per contest and leading the team in assists. Barber and Lacey are also the team's primary ballhandlers, combining for 88 assists against just 45 turnovers.
3. BOUNCING BACK IN NON-ACC PLAY
The Pack is coming off a loss to a nationally-ranked West Virginia team, but Mark Gottfried's NC State teams have built a track record of bouncing back after nonconference losses. The Wolfpack is 10-1 in the game immediately following a nonconference loss. Only once under Gottfried has NC State lost two non-ACC games in a row. That came in 2011 in consecutive games against Indiana and Stanford.
4. BLOCK PARTY
NC State has all season ranked among the national leaders in blocked shots. The Wolfpack stands second in the ACC and ninth in the nation with 6.50 blocked shots per game. NCSU is led in this area by BeeJay Anya, who stands fifth in the country with 3.5 blocks per game. Earlier this season, Anya set a school record with 10 rejections in the Pack's win over Jacksonville. Anya will have a showdown with Louisiana Tech's Michale Kyser, who is fourth in the country with 3.6 rejections per game.
5. BEAT THE BULLDOGS ON THE BOARDS
One factor to watch Tuesday night will be the battle on the boards. NC State enjoys a +8.0 rebounding margin and is in the top 100 in both offensive rebounding and defensive rebounding percentages. Louisiana Tech has struggled on the glass, posting a -8.4 rebounding margin on the year. Louisiana Tech has been out-rebounded in every game this season, including by 23 by Nicholls State.
