Freeman's 18 Points Lead Pack Past Bucs, 78-56

Sunday, November 12

Raleigh, NC

4:00 pM

NC State

2-0

Charleston Southern

0-2

Charleston Southern

NC State

11/12/2017 5:26:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score @PackMensBball

Grad transfer Allerik Freeman dropped a season-high 18 points to lead five double-digit scorers for the Pack.

RALEIGH, N.C. – NC State picked up the second win of the Kevin Keatts era as the Wolfpack downed the Charleston Southern Buccaneers, 78-56, Sunday afternoon at PNC Arena. The Pack moves to 2-0 for the second-consecutive season and the third time in the last four years.

For the second consecutive game, NC State's defense forced its opponent into more turnovers than field goals made. On Sunday afternoon, Charleston Southern committed 24 turnovers, while connecting on just 21 field goals.

The Pack turned the 24 turnovers into 26 points.

Grad transfer Allerik Freeman led all scorers with 18 points, including a 3-of-5 mark from beyond the arc. Markell Johnson finished just one assist shy of his first-career double-double for the second-straight game, scoring 12 points and dishing out a game-high nine assists for the Pack. Redshirt-senior Lennard Freeman grabbed eight rebounds to lead all players.

Redshirt-junior guard Torin Dorn was the Pack's second-leading scorer, putting up 14 points of 5-of-8 shooting for the game. Sam Hunt and Omer Yurtseven each had 11 points to round out the Pack's double-digit scorers.

A Charleston Southern three-pointer put the Bucs up 11-10 early in the first half, but that was the last time CSU held a lead in the game. NC State exploded for a 17-0 run to end the period, including three-straight three-pointers from Hunt. Johnson capped off an electric end to the half with a buzzer-beating three to put the Pack up 42-21 at the break.

Allerik Freeman started strong, scoring 10 of the Pack's first 15 points as he went 4-of-4 from the field and 2-of-2 from three over the first eight minutes of the game. Johnson facilitated the Pack's offense with six assists in the first 20 minutes.

Trailing by 21 at the half, Charleston Southern came out hot and went on a 19-7 run to shorten NC State's lead to 52-40 with 12:44 remaining. After some back and forth, the Pack solidified the victory with a 12-3 run over the final 4:10.

All seven of Lennard Freeman's points came in the second half, as the Washington, D.C. native was 1-of-2 from the field and 5-of-7 at the free throw line. Dorn added a team-best nine points in the second frame to help put the Bucs away.

NC State is back in action Tuesday, Nov. 14 as the Wolfpack hosts its first-ever meeting with the Bryant Bulldogs. The game is set for a 7 p.m. tipoff inside PNC Arena.