NC State bounces back with 84-65 win over Detroit

NC State got over the disappointment of its season-opening loss to Georgia Tech with a strong performance against Detroit and picked up a routine 84-65 win as a result. The Wolfpack came into the afternoon as a 21-point favorite, per KenPom.

Markell Johnson was, thankfully, back on the court after sitting out the opener, and while he was just 1-8 shooting the ball, he finished with a game-high 10 assists. But State didn’t need scoring from Markell to bury Detroit, which trailed by double figures for the last 27 minutes or so of the game. NC State’s win probability never fell below 95% all day.

Braxton Beverly led all NC State scorers with 23 points behind 6-8 shooting from three, while C.J. Bryce added 19 points and hit 7-8 inside the arc. As a team, NC State shot 59.4% from two and 76.2% from the free throw line, making irrelevant the fact that the Pack nabbed only five offensive boards. Shoot it well enough while also limiting turnovers and offensive boards tend not to be a make-or-break proposition.

State is still running thin with D.J. Funderburk continuing to serve a suspension, as only seven guys logged double-figure minutes. This doesn’t figure to be a problem over the next two weeks—if Funderburk’s suspension runs that long—with the softest part of the schedule laying ahead. Memphis looms on Thanksgiving day, though.

The Pack will be back in action against Florida International on Wednesday night.