NC State Falls To Cincinnati, 68-57

Box Score

NC State was right there for 30 minutes--for 35, really--and whenever that's the case, it doesn't matter what the expectations were coming in, I'm going to feel disappointed. It stinks that we weren't able to pull this one out, but it's tough to keep pace when you score nine points over the last 11:20.

Cincinnati is a good defensive club, I think what we saw in the second half were the walls caving in on a State team that had established nothing in the paint. State survived the first half on the strength of some good jump shooting, but that wouldn't carry over for the full 40, leading to the drought that eventually doomed the Wolfpack.

It's a bummer, but I don't fault the effort. There are going to be nights like this with a freshman trio up front, and so it goes.