NC State advances to NIT quarterfinals with 78-77 win over Harvard

In what was a tightly-contested game nearly start to finish, NC State got enough production down the stretch to fend off a tough Harvard team. The Wolfpack had five players in double figures.

NC State didn’t shoot the ball well overall but did get off to a fast start, at one point leading the Crimson 24-12. Harvard responded with a run of its own to erase that advantage and it was pretty much back-and-forth from then on. The Crimson took a one-point lead into halftime.

The Crimson definitely shot the ball well enough to win, posting an effective field goal percentage above 57.0. NC State, meanwhile, shot a hair over46%. Fortunately for the Wolfpack, it grabbed about 40% of its missed shots, which is an impressive number against an otherwise excellent defensive rebounding team.

Most crucially, NC State finished with a +10 turnover margin. Without that edge, we’re probably talking about a different outcome. But that’s been Harvard’s issue all season, and tonight it put an end to their year.

C.J. Bryce led all Wolfpack scorers with 16 points on 6-12 shooting; Devon Daniels added 14 on 6-10 shooting. Markell Johnson, Torin Dorn, and Braxton Beverly also managed to hit double figures, though none of them had a good shooting night—they combined to make nine of 31 field goal attempts.

NC State will be back at it on Wednesday night against Lipscomb, with a trip to Madison Square Garden on the line.