Despite forecasts for up to eight inches of snow in the Raleigh/Durham area Friday night and during the day Saturday, NC State will take on the Eagles from North Carolina Central Saturday afternoon. Tip off in the RBC Center is scheduled for 2 p.m.
Following NC State’s game against NCCU, the Hurricanes will take on the Chicago Blackhawks.
Saturday’s match up with NCCU is the last non-conference game of the 2009-2010 regular season for the Wolfpack. The Eagles (4-18) have faced four ACC teams this season, losing to North Carolina, Miami and Virginia Tech earlier in the year. NC State (13-8) comes into the game looking to halt a current two-game losing streak after falling to Maryland last weekend and UNC Tuesday. Due to the potential for inclement weather, the game will be available online for free via Pack Pass.
Coaches vs. Cancer
This weekend is the annual Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers awareness weekend, and the NC State staff will once again be wearing sneakers to show support for the program. Suits and Sneakers will unite coaches from across the country in the common effort to raise cancer awareness in their communities.
Last Season vs NC Central
Playing in its final non-conference game of the season, NC State downed NC Central 87-59 at the RBC Center on February 3. After falling behind 10-2 to start the game, the Pack went on a 20-3 run and never lost the lead. Brandon Costner (25 points, 13 rebounds) and Ben McCauley (17 points, 12 rebounds) each recorded a double-double. The Pack was dominate in the boards, holding a 52-14 advantage for the game, including 19 on the offensive end. NC State also shot well from the field, hitting 57.9 percent (33-57) of its shots.
Last Time Out for NC State
NC State went over eight minutes without a point in the second half, as North Carolina came away with a 77-63 win at the RBC Center on Tuesday. The Pack put together a 20-6 run wrapped around halftime, including a 10-1 spurt to open the second half, as NC State captured a 43-38 lead with 17:04 left. The Pack then missed 17 of its next 18 shots, and UNC went on a 18-2 run to capture the lead for good. For the second straight game, NC State’s opponent shot over 50.0 percent from the field, as UNC shot 50.9 percent (29-57), including 57.7 percent (15-26) in the second half. Tracy Smith led the Pack with 20 points, while Javier Gonzalez had 19, including scoring 15 of NC State’s 18 points during one stretch.
Limiting Turnovers
NC State has taken care of the ball lately, as the Pack has committed 11 turnovers or less in six of the last seven games (the only game above that mark was 18 turnovers in the win at No. 25 Florida State), and three games were under 10 turnovers. Over the last four games, NC State has committed just 42 total turnovers with no more than 11 in each game. This is the longest streak with 11 or less turnovers in four straight games since the end of the 2004-05 season when NC State went five straight games at 11 or less. In the Pack’s upset win over No. 7 Duke, the three primary ball handlers, Farnold Degand, Javier Gonzalez, Julius Mays, combined for just 3 turnovers in 74 combined minutes of play while dishing out 14 assists. At Maryland, NC State had 10 first half turnovers, but turned the ball over just once in the second half. Last time out, the Pack had just 10 turnovers against North Carolina.
Weather permitting, there will be coverage from the RBC Center tomorrow, including a Live Blog and post-game comments from players and Coach Lowe.
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