NC State struggled in defeat against Florida State

TALLAHASSEE, FL. – Jayden Taylor reached 1,000 career points in Tuesday’s 90–83 loss against the Florida State Seminoles in the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center. 

NC State started scoreless in the first two minutes. The Seminoles defended well against the Pack. NC State, not so much. The Wolfpack did not defend well and could not stop the basketball. 

DJ Horne tied the game with a three-pointer halfway through the first half to give the Pack some faith. 

NC State committed costly back-to-back fouls approaching halftime and ended the half on a three-minute scoring drought. 

The Pack nearly turned it over on the first possession. After a rough start, The Pack went on an 8-0 run. All scores, except one, were made by Casey Morsell through the first five minutes of the second half. 

Florida State played much like the first half. The Seminoles were quick on their feet, knocking down three-pointers left and right, and playing good coverage against the NC State offense. 

As the clock wound down, the game started to go more in the Seminoles favor, eventually sealing the 90-83 victory. 

NC State struggled with turning the ball over throughout the game. They recorded 14 turnovers. The effort or urgency was not there for the Wolfpack while they trailed most of the game. 

Eleven different players scored for the Seminoles in Tuesday’s game. 

Jayden Taylor led the Pack with 24 points, five rebounds, and two assists. Casey Morsell stood out for the Pack by attacking the basket and being successful in the paint. Morsell followed Taylor with 19 points, four rebounds, and six assists. 

Moving forward, NC state must think through each play and work on communicating as a team. Mistakes made during Tuesday’s game could have been avoided if the team had been on the same page. 

Up next, NC State travels to Chapel Hill to face the North Carolina Tar Heels on Mar 2 at 4 P.M.