Trevor Lacey has been playing well for NC State. (Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports)
North Carolina State left little doubt about their viability for the field of 68 with last night’s convincing 81-70 win over Pitt. The Miami Hurricanes have work to do however after fighting off many Virginia Tech runs before outlasting the Hokies, 59-49.
The Wolfpack and Hurricanes had two dynamically different approaches to advance here in Greensboro. North Carolina State used its speed game, behind guards Anthony “Cat” Barber and Trevor Lacey, to outrun Pitt. Barber and Lacey combined to make 17-of-27 shots and combined for six 3-pointers as they Amassed 55 of NC State’s 81 points.
Barber showed a dynamic in his game that hasn’t been there consistently – the 3-ball. He knocked down two early and staked the Wolfpack to a quick 16-8 lead. Oddly enough, it was eight minutes into the game and the separation that NC State would need as Pitt never really was able to challenge or slow them down.
“The biggest thing was Cat’s speed,” commented Wolfpack coach Mark Gottfried, whose squad is on a roll right now in winning seven of eight. “I thought they had trouble containing him and stopping his penetration. Then we got ahead and they tried to press us and at that point it becomes really difficult to contain Cat.”
Barber and Lacey formed such a dynamic tandem that when one player hit a valley inside the game the other one picked up the slack. Lacey had two seven-point runs in the game. One in the first half after Barber had struck for 12 of NC State’s first 16 points and then a seven-point steak in a minute and a half where he stretched the Wolfpack lead to 57-43, midway through the second half.
“The first half I had it going, and the second half I didn’t come out as I was in the first half,” explained Barber, who was 9-of-13 from the floor and a perfect 12-for-12 from the line with 34 points.
“Trevor came in and made some big shots, so we were giving him the ball. When he went in he was hitting big shots, so when he went out we knew it was time for me to step back up. But with Trevor in the game and I’m not going, I know him lost then somebody else would be going.”
NC State can think about moving up the bracket lines if it knocks off No. 2 Duke in the ACC quarterfinals at 7 p.m. Thursday night. The Wolfpack ran through the Blue Devils 87-75 at home earlier this year. …
The Hurricanes’ 59-49 win over Virginia Tech was a slow, ugly affair that saw the ‘Canes finally win their 19th of the season. In a situation where the Hokies were clearly outmanned, Miami failed to put them away early and it gave Virginia Tech the same confidence that it had in defeating Wake Forest on Tuesday afternoon.
The game was almost a 180-degree turn from last week when Miami won 82-61 at Virginia Tech after playing one of its best games of the year.
“We played so good at their place the other day, we couldn’t match it,” said Miami’s Jim Larranaga, who noted the Hurricanes were 15-for-25 from 3-point land.
“In this game, in the first five minutes, we had more turnovers than we did in the entire game in Blacksburg. We didn’t play as well, but our defense was similar to what it was. But we just didn’t make the consistent good choices of passing and shooting.”
No one stepped up consistently beside Sheldon McClellan for the Hurricanes and to have a shot at Notre Dame Thursday night, with a potential NCAA bid on the line, Miami will need to have a featured player to complement McClellan. He led the Hurricanes with 16 points Wednesday in 40 minutes, but he may need more aggressive if Miami wants to keep playing for an ACC title.
“We’ve won three in a row, all on the road,” noted Larranaga when discussing NCAA potential. “Our team is confident. They’re playing well. Very, very attentive to detail, and hopefully we’ll play a great game tomorrow night. We’re going to need to to advance.”
