Gameday Live Blog/Open Thread: State at Clemson
CLEMSON, S.C. -- NC State begins the 2020 portion of its basketball schedule today at Clemson's Littlejohn Coliseum. It's the first of 18 consecutive ACC matchups to finish out the regular season for the Wolfpack and a game it needs to win to help offset a season-opening conference loss to another ACC bottomfeeder, Georgia Tech.
State won both of its games against the Tigers last season, but those games were decided by a combined three points, with Braxton Beverly's buzzer-beating 3-pointer providing the margin during a regular season win at PNC Arena and the Wolfpack rallying from 16 points down at halftime for the victory at the ACC tournament.
Even though Clemson is 0-3 in the ACC and 6-7 overall, this one won't be easy for State. It will be playing without leading scorer and rebounder C.J. Bryce for the second straight game and will have only eight scholarship players available.
The Wolfpack will, however, have a significant advantage in size with Manny Bates and D.J. Funderburk inside, and that could go a long way toward being the difference in this one.
Pregame
We're less than 15 minutes from tipoff here at Clemson and it appears that most of the Tigers fans are already out tailgating for their team's national championship football game next week against LSU in New Orleans. There's a VERY sparse gathering here at Littlejohn this afternoon.
Markell Johnson, Braxton Beverly, Jericolle Hellems, Devon Daniels and Manny Bates in the starting lineup for the Wolfpack.
First half
Beverly misses the game's first shot, a 3-pointer. Dating back to last Sunday he's now missed 10 treys in a row ...
Less than a minute in and both Hellems and Bates have picked up fouls. With only eight scholarship players available State doesn't need to get into early foul trouble ...
Since that first 3-pointer, the Wolfpack has taken the ball to the rim ... as it should against the smaller Tigers. ...
But Bates misses a layup. He needs to learn how to dunk those. ...
Hellems picks up another foul, his second, and is replaced by Pat Andree. D.J. Funderburk also gets Bates. Should improve offensive efficiency around the rim.
First TV timeout: Clemson 11, State 7
Funderburk takes an NBA-length 3-pointer and thuds it ... those are the kind of shots that are going to get State beat today. Wolfpack needs to take it right at the Tigers ...
That's more like it. Funderburk takes a pass from Andree on the low block, scores and is fouled ...
Funderburk and Bates now on the floor together for the first time today ...
Daniels is running the point with Johnson on the bench getting a rest. ...
After two misses, Bates comes in with a flying dunk off the rebound ...
Another missed 3 by Funderburk. Keatts needs to tell him to cease and desist ...
Under 12 TV timeout: Clemson 21, State 15
Keatts wants a TO after Clemson gets two offensive rebounds and converts the into a 3 … Wolfpack trails 24-16 with 8:17 left in the half. ...
The Tigers already have five 3-pointers today. They're averaging only eight per game for the season ...
Absolutely no flow to the Wolfpack's offense right now. Just a lot of dribbling by Johnson and someone putting up a bad shot. Clemson up by 11 with 6:26 left in the half ...
Beverly ends his 3-point miss streak at 10 with a very well-timed corner jumper. State still down by 11
Under 4 TV timeout: Clemson 34, State 23
A Hellems 3 and Bates with a rebound basket after he rips the ball away from Clemson's Amir Simms gets the Wolfpack back to within single digits. But yet another 3 ball by the Tigers stops any potential run. Clemson already has eight 3-pointers today. ...
Wolfpack trailed by as many as 14 in the first half, but thanks to another Bates layup and an Andree trey, have pulled to within six at halftime. Lucky to be that close.
Halftime: Tigers 41, Wolfpack 35
Second half
State gets possession to start the second half and Daniels takes it right to the basket and is fouled. Hits both and it's only a four point game now. Wolfpack needs to get off to a good start here in the final 20 minutes and establish control against a team that's used to losing ...
Wolfpack has gotten next to nothing from Johnson, Funderburk and Beverly so far today. Can't happen with Bryce out. ...
And just like that, Johnson takes it to the rim and scores, And then hits a jumper in the lane ... deficit just three again ...
Clemson is trying very hard to let State win this one. Question is, will the Wolfpack take advantage. So far, no ...
Under 16 TV timeout: Tigers 48, Wolfpack 43
Johnson misses an ill-advised 3 with his team down by only two, then gets beat and commits a foul on the other end. He's got eight points and four assists, but he's also missed all three of his treys and has four turnovers. He's way off his game today. ...
Andree will go to the line for three with a chance to make it a one-point game when play resumes.
Under 12 TV timeout: Clemson 53, State 49
Andree makes all three and the Wolfpack is within one with 12 to go. If State can play just a little defense the rest of the way, it might just escape this with a W ...
State's shot selection has been awful all day. So has its defense ... ...
Wolfpack has gone four minutes without scoring. Deficit back to five ...
Under 8 TV timeout: Clemson 57, State 52
Funderburk snaps a 4:52 scoring drought with a pair of free throws. State down 3 ...
Refs now trying to help State out by calling more ticky tack fouls on the perimeter and sending Wolfpack to the line when it's offense is stagnant. Beverly converts twice ...
Now Hellems is called for the same kind of ticky tack foul … this is not how the game is supposed to be called. ...
Johnson continues his recent struggles at the free throw line by missing the front end of a one-and-one ... Then State gives up a wid-open 3 and the margin grows again ...
Final TV timeout and State has a lot of work to do: Tigers 66, Wolfpack 58
This is the soft part of State's ACC schedule (GA Tech, Wake, Clemson, Notre Dame VA Tech, Miami, Clemson before having to go to Charlottesville. Wolfpack is in serious danger of dropping to 1-2 in the league ...
State down 10 with 3:35 left ...
Two more Johnson missed free throws. That's three in a row. He's now 9 of his last 26 from the line (35 percent) over the past four games ...
State is 0 for 4 on 3-pointers in the second half and 4 of 18 in the game ...
Mack scores off yet another offensive rebound and Clemson is up by 10 with a minute to go. Game. Set. Match.
State falls to 10-4 overall and 1-2 in the ACC
Final: Clemson 81, Wolfpack 70
