Game notes provided by Media Relations.
NC State Travels to Miami
After having the past week off, NC State returns to ACC action as the Pack heads down to Miami for a Saturday afternoon contest. This is the first meeting between the teams this season, and last year each team won on its own home court. The Pack is coming off of a 68-54 upset of then-No. 23 Wake Forest last weekend, while Miami downed Virginia, 74-62, on Tuesday at home. The game will be broadcasted on Raycom with Tim Brant and Dave Odom.
The Series Versus Miami
Saturday’s matchup will mark only the 10th meeting between NC State and Miami. The Wolfpack leads the overall series 5-4, with a perfect 4-0 record when the teams have played in Raleigh. Miami leads 3-1 in games played on the Canes home court, and Miami also won the only matchup on a neutral court. The two teams split last season’s pair of games, with NC State winning 84-81 in overtime in Raleigh and Miami claiming a 72-64 home win to close out the regular season. In 2007-08, each team claimed one win, with NC State winning in overtime in Raleigh, and then Miami claiming a win in the ACC Â Tournament. The Hurricanes won the lone game in 2007, winning at home, 80-65. NC State won both games against the Hurricanes during the 2005-06 season – winning by 12 (81-69) in Raleigh and then fighting to an 86-77 double-overtime win at Coral Gables. The two squads met just once in 2004-05, Miami’s first year in the ACC. The Pack fell, 66-67 in Miami. The only other game was played in 1939-40, a 46-35 Wolfpack win in Raleigh.
Last Time Out for NC State
Five Wolfpack players finished in double figures, as NC State defeated its third ranked opponent of the season, downing No. 23 Wake Forest 68-54 at the RBC Center last Saturday. Up 28-18 at the half, NC State shot 52.2 percent in the second half, including 5-of-7 from three-point range. NC State held Wake to 34.8 percent overall shooting from the field and forced 23 turnovers. Wake went 0-of-12 from three-point range, the first time a Pack opponent has failed to hit at least one 3-pointer in 633 consecutive games, dating back to a Jan. 27, 1990 contest against Maryland. Tracy Smith led the Pack with 14 points, while Denis Horner had his second straight double-double, 10 points and 12 rebounds.
Last Season Versus Miami
Each team won on its home court last season. Julius Mays hit the game-winning three-pointer with just 2.6 seconds left in overtime, lifting NC State to an 84-81 win at the RBC Center on January 27. The Hurricanes erased a 19-point second half deficit to take a 56-53 lead with 6:56 left, but Brandon Costner would tie the score at the end of regulation with a basket with 17 seconds left, and Miami missed a game-winning three of its own. Courtney Fells set a new career-high with 24 points, hitting a career-best six three-pointers, Costner added 21 points, and Farnold Degand had seven assists. NC State hit a season-best 14 three- pointers, and for the second straight game only had 10 turnovers. NC State would go 12:22 in the second half without a field goal, missing all 12 attempts in that span, as Miami defeated the Pack 72-64 in Coral Gables on March 7. The Pack held Miami to just 25.8 percent (8-31) in the first half, and took a 30-21 lead into the locker room, but the Hurricanes would start the second half on a 10-0 run. Javier Gonzalez hit a career-best five three-pointers, and led the Pack with 19 points. Courtney Fells sat out the game with a groin injury, and Trevor Ferguson replaced him in the lineup and scored five points in 25 minutes. Ferguson held Miami’s Jack McClinton to just 3-of-15 from the field, but McClinton hit all 16 free throw attempts and finished with a game-high 24 points.
Pack Strong Against Ranked Foes
NC State has fared well against ranked opponents this season, as the Pack has gone 3-2 in such games. The Pack pulled off wins at No. 25 Florida State and at home against No. 7 Duke and No. 23 Wake Forest (by a combined 35 points), and its two losses (No. 24 Clemson and No. 21 Georgia Tech) were by a combined five points. The Pack took out a pair of ranked opponents and came close to winning a third such game, all in a span of eight days in mid-January. The Pack faced three straight ranked foes, going 2-1 in those games. NC State started the stretch with a 88-81 win at No. 25 Florida State on January 12. The Pack returned home, and despite cutting a 18-point second half deficit down to one late in the game, fell 73-70 to No. 24 Clemson on January 16. The Pack then turned right around, and claimed a 88-74 win over No. 7 Duke on January 20, tying as the second-highest ranked foe Coach Lowe has beaten in his four seasons. NC State made another comeback run at No. 21 Georgia Tech, coming back from 13 down with 3:32 left, but fell 73-71 after a couple of misses in the final 10 seconds. Most recently, the Pack ended a seven game ACC losing streak with a 68-54 win over No. 23 Wake Forest at home on February 20. NC State’s three wins over ranked opponents this season have been an improvement from last year’s 1-6 mark against top-25 squads. In Coach Lowe’s first three seasons, the Pack complied a record of 6-17 against all ranked foes. NC State was 3-6 at home, 1-10 away, and 2-1 on a neutral court. Lowe’s home wins were against No. 3 UNC in 2007, No. 21 Miami in 2008, and No. 7 Wake Forest last season.
