NC State Basketball Dealt Humbling Knockout Punch in Trip to San Diego
NC State basketball suffered its second double-digit defeat in as many days — and nearly identical scores — at the two-day Rady Children's Invitational in San Diego. Kevin Keatts and his Wolfpack head back to Raleigh without a quality win to their name but now sit 5-2 overall with learning lessons galore.
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On Thanksgiving Day, State fell to No. 13-ranked Purdue, 71-61. The Pack's 72-61 Black Friday loss to unranked BYU wasn't as close as the final score suggests, as the Cougars held a 65-41 advantage with under nine minutes to play in the contest before Keatts' if-nothing-else-resilient bunch avoided complete embarrassment by closing on a respectable 20-7 run.
But from the get-go until NC State's last-ditch comeback attempt, BYU fired on all cylinders while the Wolfpack was ice-cold everywhere. The Cougars knocked down their first four attempts beyond the arc, all within the first four minutes of the game, as the squad from Raleigh managed only 18 points across the first 16 minutes before a 9-3 run to pull within 11 at 38-27 entering the locker room.
. @kanoncatchings lights out in San Diego 👌
— BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) November 29, 2024
📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/9iyP2NNqdY
Keatts' eighth NC State basketball squad shot a season-low 36.8 percent from the field, including only 29.6 percent in the first half.
Wolfpack senior guard Jayden Taylor and graduate guard Michael O'Connell each delivered a team-high 16 points, knocking down a combined six of their 11 attempts from deep. Senior forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield grabbed a team-high nine rebounds, but State lost the battle on the glass, 45-32.
And the rest of the squad's production was sparse.
The Pack looks to regroup and rebound when it hosts Texas in the SEC/ACC Challenge in the Lenovo Center at 9:15 p.m. ET Wednesday (ESPN2).
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Matt Giles is the editor and publisher of NC State Wolfpack on SI, Duke Blue Devils on SI, and North Carolina Tar Heels on SI, making him a key source for comprehensive coverage of these storied college basketball programs. Since joining NC State Wolfpack on SI in 2024, Matt has been dedicated to providing in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive content on all three teams. He covers everything from game previews and recaps to player profiles and recruiting updates. Matt's expert knowledge of these teams has made his work a go-to resource for fans and followers of Duke, NC State, and UNC. As publisher, he shapes the editorial direction, ensuring that the most relevant and timely information reaches his audience.