NC State Wins Fifth In A Row, Defeats Irish
SOUTH BEND, IND – The now 13-9 North Carolina State Wolfpack traveled to Indiana on Wednesday to compete in their final on the road matchup of the regular season against the (9-14) Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Nc state rode in on a four game win streak in on the road matchups and this recent win against Notre Dame put them at five.
Although NC State went into this competition down two key players (Deven Daniels and Thomas Allen), this did not stop them from coming out HOT.
The first half was very inconsistent for Notre Dame, making it easy for North Carolina State to keep their energy high and put the necessary points on the board.
The Pack took the Irish on an impeccable 7-0 run with three minutes left on the clock (the largest lead of the first half) , shooting 55 percent from the floor and NC State leading by a well deserved 8 points took the two teams into the locker room at halftime with a score of 40-32.
Notre Dame, missing several opportunities in the competition, managed to find some stamina in the last two minutes erasing a 19 point lead to a 11 point lead. Still the Pack finished strong for a final score of 80-69.
North Carolina State ended the game shooting 54 percent from the field (a total of 38 points in the paint), 39 percent from the three, 9 points off turnovers, and 8 points off a fast break.
Head coach Kevin Keatts stated after the matchup of the two teams that he walked away pumped and proud that these guys have never stopped believing.
Wednesday nights three freshman lead scorers (Cam Hayes, Dereon Seabron, and Shakeel Moore) ended the game with poise, bringing a different energy to this Wolfpack team and proving they can roll with big dogs. Their growth has had a tremendous impact on the Pack’s current winning streak and forced these three freshmen to really grow up on the offensive end.
Can Hayes (20 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Dereon Seabron (17 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 assists) both finished the game with a career high. Fellow teammate Jericole Hellems added 13 points to the board while Shakeel Moore who had eight points and three assists himself.
“Just with what is going on in our country I have realized that you don’t know how good you have it until you hear someone else’s story and it’s bigger than just basketball…these guys are ready to get out on the court to play and make some else’s day” Coach Keatts humbly stated.
Wednesday night’s win was just the beginning to an even bigger journey for the Wolfpack. Make sure to tune in the next Wolfpack appearance, Tuesday March 9th where the Pack will take the court in Greensboro, North Carolina to compete in the ACC Tournament.