NC State crushes men’s basketball after second-half explosion

After a close match in the first half, the Syracuse Men’s Basketball team could not keep up with the NC State Wolfpack and lost, 73-58.

The game started in an odd fashion when both teams had the opportunity to put the first points on the board but instead missed two free throws each. From Syracuse turnovers, NC State jumped out to an early 5-0 lead.

Frank Howard had the hot hand all game and got started by making a three to end the Wolfpack scoring run. The Orange were able to tie the game in the first half, but multiple made shots from Braxton Beverly kept the Wolfpack in the lead.

A lay-up from Marek Dolezaj gave Syracuse its first, but brief, lead of 11-10. The Orange struggled in the first half because of missed shots, turnovers, sloppy play and early foul trouble. The foul trouble caused Syracuse Head Coach Jim Boeheim to bench some of his starters when his team was behind.

A three-pointer from Howard gave Syracuse an energy boost toward the end of the half, leading to an 11-0 scoring run. The Orange were able to cut the Wolfpack’s 10-point lead down to three going into halftime.

A dunk from Bourama Sidibe in the second half got the Orange within one of NC State. That one-point lead would be the closest the Orange would come in this game, because Beverly hit another three-pointer immediately after.

Beverly was the first to contribute to a 14-0 scoring run for the Wolfpack. The Syracuse drought was ended by a made shot from behind the arc from Howard. NC State answered with another scoring run of 7-0. During that time, Syracuse was 10-27 in second-half field goals. Toward the end of the game, it was clear the Wolfpack was in control of the game. This was evident after a big second half from Torin Dorn for NC State. The Orange tried to rally late in the game but fell flat.

Despite the loss, Syracuse’s Howard had a big offensive game, scoring a season-high of 21 points. Howard was the only player for the Orange who hit a three-pointer all game.

“He shot the ball well tonight,” Boeheim said. “He has been shooting the ball better, and he’s the one guy that made shots for us.”

On the other side, Beverly tied his career-high with 21 points. Beverly made four of eight from the three-point range in this game. Another player who played well for the Wolfpack was Dorn. After only scoring two points in the first half, Dorn burst out in the second half to finish with 16 points.

Syracuse is back Wednesday in the Carrier Dome to face No. 16 Louisville. The Cardinals have won two of the last three games against the Orange, who look to move to 9-4 in the ACC.