There are no NC State basketball players averaging over 14 points per game. And the lack of a fearless bucket-getter cost the Wolfpack during crucial moments in the 71-61 loss to the No. 13-ranked Purdue Boilermakers at the Rady Children’s Invitational in San Diego on Thanksgiving Day.
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Effort and grit were present, which is an encouraging sign moving forward for an NC State squad that fell to 5-1 and dropped its distinction as the ACC’s only unbeaten team. After all, the Wolfpack clawed its way back to a one-point deficit at halftime.
On the flip side, though, the eye test suggests the Wolfpack roster lacks the necessary firepower to sufficiently counter top-tier opponents’ scoring bursts on a consistent basis.
That’s not to mention the woes on the glass, as the Boilermakers outrebound the Pack, 38-28. Plus, NC State earned 11 fewer free throws than Purdue, in part due to settling for jumpers instead of attacking the rim with authority.
Jayden Taylor, who leads Kevin Keatts’ eighth NC State basketball team at 14.0 points per game and would probably serve as a quality second or third option on a top title contender, paced the Wolfpack with 15 points. But across Purdue’s ultimately decisive 18-6 run, leading to a 53-40 advantage at the midpoint of the second half, the 6-foot-4 senior guard mustered only one basket while committing three of his game-high four turnovers, all coming after the break.
After Purdue seized momentum at that critical juncture, NC State had no choice but to switch into desperation mode for the first time this season. However, without any scorers seemingly capable of heating up to the tune of a swift comeback against a formidably disciplined defense, the Wolfpack never mounted a serious rally down the stretch.
Senior forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield was the only other Wolfpack weapon to reach double digits, as he finished with a promising 13 points and game-high eight boards.
NC State basketball now faces the unranked BYU Cougars, who ran out of gas versus the No. 23 Ole Miss Rebels in overtime of their 96-85 defeat following the Wolfpack-Boilermakers clash, in the Rady Children’s Invitational consolation bout at 3:30 p.m. ET Friday (FOX).
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