Taking down the number one ranked team in the nation is never an easy task. Whenever that team is an undefeated Duke squad, its especially difficult. Led by CJ Leslie with 25 points, Richard Howell with 16, and Scott Wood with 14, NC State powered their way to victory throughout the whole game.
Using mostly six players, the 6’8′ forward Howell played particularly strong around the boards and down low while adding defensive pressure along with 18 boards to his resume. Big guard play and toughness in transition allowed the team to respond to the multiple comeback threats Duke posed down the stretch. With the big guards posting down low at times, Duke didn’t seem as though they could cover everyone though Plumlee made his presence felt inside with 11 rebounds and 15 points. At the end it however, it was NC State 84 Duke Blue Devils 76 and a major ACC victory for the Wolfpack now at 14-2.
Menacing Duke now 15-1, will eventually recover from the loss and probably play better than it has all season. Great coaching does that to a team. As for NC State, the win could put this team on the trajectory to play big for the remainder of January, into February and who knows, the sky is the limit come March. Their next test will be against the Maryland Terrapins on the road so we’ll see if their energy and fight can be carried over and become contagious. If nothing else, the “W” should signal anyone to watch for this sextet during March Madness, because it definitely proves they can play big and beat anyone on any given night.
PLAYER ROSTER/STATS AREA
| # | Player | Pos | Ht | Wt | Class | Hometown | PPG | RPG | TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Lorenzo Brown | G | 6’5′ | 186 | Jr. | Roswell, GA | xx | xx | xx |
| 1 | Richard Howell | F | 6’8′ | 257 | Sr. | Marietta, GA | 16 | 18 | 2 |
| 5 | CJ Leslie | F | 6’9′ | 200 | Jr. | Holly Springs, NC | 25 | 6 | 1 |
| 15 | Scott Wood | G | 6’6′ | 169 | Sr. | Marion, IN | 14 | 1 | 2 |
| 0 | Rodney Purvis | F | 6’4′ | 195 | Fr. | Raleigh, NC | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| 24 | TJ Warren | G | 6’8′ | 233 | Fr. | Durham, NC | 10 | 3 | 1 |
| 12 | Tyler Lewis | G | 5’9′ | 157 | Fr. | Statesville, NC | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Staats Battle | G | 6’6′ | 191 | So. | Raleigh, NC | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Jay Lewis | G | 6’2′ | 198 | Sr. | Greensboro, NC | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Thomas de Thaey | F | 6’8′ | 244 | So. | Dendermonde, Belgium | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Jordan Vandenberg | C | 7’1′ | 264 | Jr. | Melbourne, AU | 0 | 0 | 0 |
TEAM SCHEDULE AREA
| Date | Opponent |
|---|---|
| Jan. 16 | at Maryland |
| Jan. 20 | Clemson |
| Jan. 22 | at Wake Forest |
| Jan. 26 | North Carolina |
| Jan. 29 | at Virginia |
| Feb. 02 | Miami (FL) |
| Feb. 07 | at Duke |
| Feb. 10 | at Clemson |
| Feb. 16 | Virginia Tech |
| Feb. 19 | Florida State |
| Feb. 23 | at North Carolina |
| Feb. 27 | Boston College |
| Mar. 03 | at Georgia Tech |
| Mar. 06 | Wake Forest |
| Mar. 09 | at Florida State |
MARCHVEGAS 2013
To catch the action, why not take a break, “March to Vegas” and see all the excitement at once for the first round of the March Madness tournament? Watch hoops and gamble by day, play and party by night for 4 blissful days; it’ll feel just like a 4-day™ holiday.
MARCHVEGAS 2013 is from Thursday March 21st till Sunday March 24th. Though visiting Las Vegas is the greatest during this time, it is only optional. You must think real hard young Jedi and decide if you want to “work” or take the MARCHVEGAS 4-day Holiday. If you choose the later, then Sign the Petition, “Make MARCHVEGAS a 4-day holiday and check out our travel options to Las Vegas.
