North Carolina State University Athletics
Wolfpack Plays Second 919 Rival In A Row
1/13/2015 12:00:00 AM
| NC State (12-5, 3-1) vs. UNC-Chapel Hill (12-4, 2-1) | ||
| Date | Wednesday, Jan. 14 | |
| Time | 7 p.m. ET | |
| Location | PNC Arena - Raleigh, N.C. | |
| Tickets | SOLD OUT | |
| Television | ESPN2 (Bob Wischusen, LaPhonso Ellis) | |
| Radio | Wolfpack Sports Network (Gary Hahn, Tony Haynes) | |
| Game Notes | NC State | UNC-CH | |
| Season Statistics | NC State | UNC-CH | |
| Live Stats | GameTracker | |
| Social Media | @PackMensBball  | Facebook  |
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Video Recap: NC State 87, No. 2 Duke 75
The Starting 5 - The Top 5 Storylines For This Game
1. THE NEXT EPISODE OF A STORIED TRADITION
Wednesday's contest is the 227th meeting between the two rivals, NC State's third-most prolific rivalry in men's basketball (behind Wake Forest and Duke). The visiting Tar Heels edged the Pack 85-84 in overtime 11 months ago in a game that saw a duel between T.J. Warren and Marcus Paige. Warren scored 36 points and Paige finished with 35 in a game that featured 10 ties and five lead changes. Along with Wake Forest, UNC-Chapel Hill is the Wolfpack's home-and-home ACC opponent every year. The other two home-and-home opponents (this year Virginia and Clemson) rotate each year.
2. CAPITALIZING ON A CHALLENGING STRETCH
NC State will be finishing an eight-day stretch that saw the Wolfpack play three consecutive games with ranked opponents. After dropping a game at then-No. 3 Virginia last Wednesday, the Wolfpack captured an 87-75 win over then-No. 2 Duke. The stretch has challenged Mark Gottfried's team and allowed it to climb in the college basketball rankings. NC State is currently No. 30 in the RPI with the No. 7 strength of schedule. The Pack currently owns five top-100 wins (Richmond, Boise State, Tennessee, Pittsburgh and Duke) and can further improve its standing Wednesday night against UNC-Chapel Hill (RPI 14).
3. ACC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Trevor Lacey was voted the ACC Men's Basketball Player of the Week this week after leading NC State to its win over previously-unbeaten Duke. Lacey scored 21 points and shot 5-for-7 from 3-point range against the Blue Devils. With NC State leading 50-48, Lacey scored eight points in a 22-5 run that put the Wolfpack ahead by 19. For the week, Lacey averaged 15.0 points in two games while shooting 8-for-13 from beyond the arc.
4. DEFENDING THE ACC
NC State is off to a 3-1 start in ACC games and its defense is a main reason why. NC State is holding ACC opponents to .373 shooting and no league foe has shot better than .411 against the Pack. On Dec. 6, NC State limited Wake Forest to .386 shooting. The Pack suffocated Pittsburgh on Jan. 3, holding the Panthers to 50 points on .327 shooting. While NC State did fall 61-51 at Virginia, it held the Cavs to .411 shooting. Duke shot a season-low .369 against NC State while the Pack blocked 10 shots.
5. CAT, TREVOR AND RALSTON LEAD THE ATTACK
NC State is led by its three-guard attack, with Trevor Lacey, Ralston Turner and Cat Barber combining for 41.6 points and 11.2 rebounds per game. Lacey is fourth in the ACC in scoring with 16.9 points per game. Turner, the team's leading long-range shooter, scores 13.3 points per contest. Barber, State's starting point guard, is scoring 11.4 per game and leads the team in assists.
