NC State Gets Hot From 3 in Syracuse Loss

RALEIGH, N.C. — The NC State men’s basketball team made a season-high 16 three-pointers, but Syracuse shot 59.3 percent from the field to knock off the Pack, 89-82, inside PNC Arena Wednesday evening.

NC State hit 10 three-pointers in the first half and made six more in the second to finish with 16. The 16 three-pointers are the most in a single game for the Pack since NC State made a school-record 19 in a win over Jacksonville on Dec. 22, 2017.

Sophomore forward Jaylon Gibson made his career start and finished with career-highs in points (14) and rebounds (6) for the Pack. It was the first double-digit scoring game of the Zebulon, N.C., native’s career as he played a season-best 37 minutes.

Freshman guard Terquavion Smith led NC State in scoring for the second consecutive game with 25 points. He tied his season-high with seven made three-pointers and added six rebounds.

Sophomore guard Dereon Seabron shook off his first single-digit scoring game of the season last Saturday to finish with 17 points and team-highs in rebounds (8) and assists (5).

Thomas Allen added 11 points off the bench.

NC State scored a season-high 45 points in the first half to take a three-point lead into the break.

After the Pack opened the second half with a Casey Morsell three-pointer to take a six-point lead, Syracuse answered immediately, hitting its first 11 shots of the final 20 minutes. The Orange didn’t miss a field goal until Cole Swider missed a jumper with 9:58 remaining.

A 12-0 run after Morsell’s three gave the Orange a six-point lead with 17:10 to go. Syracuse would stretch the lead out to 11 points, but NC State would not let the Orange get away. The Pack responded to its 11-point deficit with an 11-2 run to get within 70-68 with under 10 minutes to play.

Syracuse would never let NC State retake the lead though. The Orange had an answer for every Pack response. A Smith three-pointer got the Pack back within one, 81-80, with under four minutes to play, but Buddy Boeheim drained a jumper on Syracuse’s next possession to put the Orange back up by three.

Seabron made two free throws with 1:57 left to get NC State back within one, but Swider nailed a three on Syracuse’s ensuing possession to put the Orange back in front by four and NC State would never score again.

Jesse Edwards and Swider led Syracuse with 19 points. Joe Girard III added 18 poitns while the Boeheim brothers had 17 (Buddy) and 16 (Jimmy). All 89 Syracuse points came from the starting five.

NC State returns to action Saturday when it hosts Notre Dame at 3 p.m. The game will be televised on the ACC Network.