CHAPEL HILL — For the second time this season, the NC State men’s basketball team lost to North Carolina, this time falling 85-79 to a team that currently sits at the bottom of the ACC and entered the game on a seven-game conference losing streak, with its last win coming against NC State just under a month ago.
The Wolfpack (17-11, 8-9 ACC) saw flashes of “Good Markell” at the beginning of each half, but poor ball security at crucial points and extended periods of scoring silence by the Pack’s inconsistent star point guard senior Markell Johnson cost NC State against the Tar Heels (11-17, 4-13 ACC), as it dropped its second game in the last four days.
“I didn’t think we played particularly smart,” said NC State head coach Kevin Keatts. “We turned the ball over in key spots of the game … We’ve got to do a better job of playing a lot smarter. For the second or third time in a row, I’ve had key players on the bench who have fouls in the first half, and it kind of changes us because we don’t have a lot of depth.”
Finishing the game with a double-double, 21 points and 10 assists, along with five rebounds and four steals, Johnson had a statistically dominant game, but going quiet for large stretches at the end of the first half and most of the second half cost the Pack in the end.
Johnson and the Wolfpack started the game on fire, opening up the game on a 10-0 run, with Johnson accounting for eight of those 10 points. Unlike the previous week’s Tobacco Road showdown, the Pack wasn’t able to sustain its big lead, as the Tar Heels answered NC State’s run with an 11-3 run of their own.
“We just try to not come out flat,” said redshirt junior forward D.J. Funderburk. “The majority of the time when we come out flat, we are in a dogfight for the rest of the game. We try to prevent going out and tiring ourselves out … We came out ready to play, and unfortunately we let it slip away.”
The Tar Heels and Wolfpack traded baskets throughout the remainder of the half, with different players stepping up at different times for each team. On occasion, redshirt senior guard C.J. Bryce or Funderburk came up with big baskets for the Pack, and for the Heels, forward Garrison Brooks scored 13 points in the first half and three other players chipped in with six or more first-half points.
In the final minute of the half, the Pack’s lead was finally chipped away completely, and the Tar Heels took their first lead of the game with just 61 seconds left in the half. After picking off a North Carolina pass on the defensive end, Johnson brought the ball up and slowed it down, looking for a final shot, but the guard got his pocket picked, and Tar Heels guard Leaky Black was able to convert the transition layup as the clock expired to put the Pack down 40-37 at the break.
“We didn’t do all the right stuff at the right time, and that’s deflating, a little bit,” Keatts said.
Johnson came out of the break similarly to how he started the game: aggressive. After getting a steal just outside the 3-point line, Johnson took off for the basket and attempted to throw down a big one-handed slam, but he was fouled on the play, and the dunk attempt cannoned off the back of the rim. Johnson’s aggression didn’t stop there, however, as he continued to attack the basket, leading to six points in the opening four minutes of the half, giving the lead back to the Pack.
With Johnson leading by example, the Pack attacked inside, scoring 10 of its opening 15 second-half points in the paint as it built its lead back up to seven. That lead did not last long, however, as a 7-0 Tar Heel run erased the lead in less than 90 seconds.
“We decided to drive, and when we drove, we got in there,” Keatts said. “Our guys got a little discouraged; we drove in the first half and we got bumped a couple times, and they didn’t feel like we got the calls. But I told them, ‘You can’t rely on your outside shot.’ Then we started driving the basketball, and we got to the free throw line.”
While redshirt junior guard Devon Daniels was able to end the run with a pair of free throws, the struggles didn’t end there for the Wolfpack. Another Johnson turnover led to a crowd-energizing dunk from North Carolina guard Cole Anthony, and a streak of hot shooting from guard Christian Keeling allowed the Tar Heels to build an 11-point lead.
The Wolfpack mounted a minor comeback attempt with Bryce, Daniels and sophomore forward Jericole Hellems, making some big 3s down the stretch, but it was too little too late, as the Heels hit their free throws down the stretch, ultimately sinking the Pack.
NC State will be back in action on Feb. 29 to take on Pitt at home. Opening tip is set for noon. Be sure to follow @TechSports on Twitter for live updates.
“Don’t let this one affect the next one,” Funderburk said. “You can’t let the next game slip away, and then we’ve got another game after that … We’ve just got to lock back in, get back in the gym Thursday, and be ready for Pitt.”
