Despite offensive struggles, NC State gets revenge against Clemson, 60-54

NC State’s performance against Clemson wasn’t the prettiest think you’re going to see this year, but it’ll work fine, thank you. On a day where both teams shot the ball poorly, the Wolfpack did just enough more than the Tigers to get the victory, ending Clemson’s three-game winning streak.

A sluggish start on both sides proved a sign of bricks to come—the Wolfpack jumped out to a 5-0 lead, then found itself down 15-8 before establishing some rhythm at the offensive end. The early portions were rife with sloppy turnovers on NC State’s part, but the Pack took control over the last 10 minutes of the first half by out-shooting Clemson by a lot.

State hit half its shots in that first half, but the second was a struggle, with the Pack knocking down only 9-29 from the field. Fortunately, NC State had a 12-point halftime lead to give it some margin for error.

Clemson didn’t figure to go away and managed to fight back with some help from State, but the Tigers’ effort was defined by an inability to capitalize on opportunities, especially at the free throw line. The Tigers were 26-31 at the stripe in the first meeting, but finished Saturday just 9-23.

Another key to getting this win for NC State was the defensive glass—the Wolfpack did a nice job not letting the cold-shooting Tigers have many second chances. That helped make State’s modest advantage in shooting the difference in the outcome.