Late Rally Falls Short, NC State Falls To SMU
RALEIGH, N.C. – The NC State men’s basketball team battled back from a 15-point second half deficit to get within one with 3:21 to play, but couldn’t complete the comeback as SMU held off the Pack, 63-57, Saturday afternoon inside the Lenovo Center.
Marcus Hill led the Pack with 14 points while Dontrez Styles chipped in 12 and Jayden Taylor finished with 11. Paul McNeil added eight points, a career-best for the freshman guard.
SMU took its largest lead of the game, 49-34, on a dunk by Kario Oquendo with 11:50 to play, but the Pack started its comeback at that point holding the Mustangs to just three field goals the rest of the game.
NC State scored seven straight points to get within eight, after a three-point play by SMU, the Pack went on a 7-0 run to get within three, 52-49, with 6:32 to go.
The Mustangs held a 56-51 lead with 4:28 to play when the Pack made four consecutive free throws to get within one, 56-55, with 3:21 to go.
NC State could not get any closer though as the Mustangs ran the shot clock on its next possession before finding BJ Edwards in the corner for a three-pointer to push its advantage back to four.
After a defensive stop, SMU added two free throws on its next possession to get back up by six. A Styles jumper brought the Pack within four, 61-57, with 1:43 to go, but NC State would not score again.
The Pack forced SMU into 15 turnovers, the most for an ACC opponent this season and finished with nine steals in the game, its most since having 13 against William & Mary back on Nov. 22.
But NC State’s offense scored a season-low 57 points in the game and shot a season-worst 29.2 percent from the field.
SMU was led by Samet Yigitoglu who finished with 20 points. Matt Cross added a double-double for the Mustangs with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
NC State has a short turnaround as it plays in two days at second-ranked Duke. Tipoff against the Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium is scheduled for 8:30 p.m., and the game will be televised by ESPN.