[ad_1]
PITTSBURGH —Four players reached double-digit scoring figures for 11th place North Carolina State basketball as the Wolfpack led sixth place Texas Tech Basketball 80-67 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday night at PPG Paints Arena.
The Wolfpack (23-14) kept the pressure on Texas Tech’s (23-11) bigs all night, putting returning Warren Washington in tough situations to defy the foot injury he returned from.
Ben Middlebrooks led the way with 21 points as the Wolfpack pulled away down the stretch to advance, earning their sixth consecutive victory, all in the postseason.
NC State puts Texas Tech in a bind
The Wolfpack made a concerted effort to put Texas Tech’s big men in as much action as possible. Much of Tech’s improved defense over the last five games came from help-side attacks, which the Red Raiders were unable to make against players like Middlebrooks and DJ Burns, Jr.
FOLLOW THE MADNESS: NCAA tournament standings, scores, schedules, teams and more.
Middlebrooks and Burns combined for 22 of NC State’s 37 halftime points (14 by Middlebrooks on multiple three-point plays).
NC State used a 10-0 run in the final four minutes of the half to take a 37-33 halftime lead.
Joe Toussaint the saving grace
The Red Raiders were stagnant offensively for most of the half, with Joe Toussaint being the only real source of scoring.
Playing in the fourth NCAA tournament of his career, Toussaint didn’t seem to get carried away by the stage. He had 13 points, three rebounds and three assists at halftime. This included chasing down a key offensive board and hitting Darrion Williams for a three-pointer in the corner just before the halftime buzzer to bring the deficit to four.
Wolfpack stops Tech rally
NC State led by seven early in the second half before Texas Tech quickly closed within two. From there, the Wolfpack went on another run, this time going 12-4 to push the lead to 10.
The Wolfpack benefited from multiple turnovers that led to the transition of Mohamed Diarra and Casey Morsell. The lead increased to 12 when Burns finished an aerial hook over Warren Washington.
A cold night of shooting dooms the Red Raiders
The Red Raiders stayed in the game for a while, but it was ultimately an icy shooting night that finished them off.
Down 12 with 5:26 remaining, Texas Tech was just 4 of 22 from 3-point range. Pop Isaacs was 1 of 8 from long range, Williams 2 of 6 and Toussaint 1 of 5. The Wolfpack closed the lanes to the basket, forcing the Red Raiders to make difficult shot attempts from distance.
Whats Next?
Oakland, the 14th seed in the South Region, defeated third-seeded Kentucky 80-76 in the first game of the night session to advance to Saturday’s second round. NC State will face the Golden Grizzlies (24-11) with the winner traveling to Dallas for the Sweet 16 next week.
[ad_2]
Source link