When N.C . State men’s basketball faced off against the UNC-Asheville Bulldogs Friday night, the Pack would have to do so without sophomore forward Calvin Leslie.
Prior to the game, Leslie was suspended for the first three games due to receiving impermissible benefits totaling $410.
Luckily for the Wolfpack , the team would not need Leslie to overcome the minor challenge that came from the Bulldogs.
As soon as the ball hit the floor, sophomore guard Lorenzo Brown lit on fire. Both offensively and defensively, he appeared to be unstoppable. Brown led the Pack offensively with five straight points with ease to open the game, and eventually would have 13. Defensively, Brown ended up with eight steals as the Bulldogs could not contain possession of the ball. Brown ended up one assist shy of a triple double.
“Coach talked to me about being in control this week, non-stop,” Brown said. “I did that tonight.”
With the help of junior forwards Scott Wood and Richard Howell, the Pack led the Bulldogs by 17 points at the half.
Unfortunately for the Pack, the Bulldogs came out of the locker in fine form. With 14:43 left in the game, the Bulldogs would hit a hot streak with a 14-4 run to bring the Bulldogs within nine points of the Pack’s once great lead.
After Gottfried rid himself of his jacket due to a seemingly unfair call by the referee, he knew some changes had to be made.
“We had to learn how to make the right pass,” Gottfried said. “We also have to learn how to run and be efficient with the ball on the break. We are playing a little bit faster than some of these returning players are used to and they still need to adjust to that.”
Gottfried eventually decided to put in freshman forward Tyler Harris. Harris conveyed a spark off of the bench as within seconds scored a three-point shot. Harris also carried some life to his team as senior guard C.J . Williams got set up with a dunk and then a layup as well to cause a 7-0 run for the Wolfpack , putting them ahead by 10 with three minutes left in the game. Eventually the buzzer would sound as the team exchanged points the remainder of the game, pulling the Wolfpack out on top, 84-75.
On Sunday night’s game, the Pack faced off against the Morehead State Eagles. A very noticeable difference with the team was in the starting lineup. Starting over junior center Jordan Vandenberg was junior center DeShawn Painter.
Within two minutes of the game, the Wolfpack jumped out to a 5-0 lead with ease. Harris saw some playing time early off the bench. With six minutes to go in the first half, State decided to turn the game up a notch. With two buckets respectively from Howell, Wood (both shots were three pointers) and Painter, including an original three point play, the Pack would eventually expand their lead to head into the locker room ahead of the Eagles, 48-30.
The second half would be a repeat of the first with powerful performances by both forwards, Howell and Painter. Painter would also end the game with 100 percent shooting from both the floor and the free throw line and 19 total points.
“I guess this new kind of offense really fits my game,” Painter said. “Coach has been really hard on me right now with having guys out. I just had to step up and play really hard right now to help out my team.”
Starting the second half, both Howell and Painter opened with baskets that would eventually lead to a 19-5 run by the Wolfpack that would seal the deal early on. As turnovers continued to hurt the Eagles, the Pack would capitalize at almost every opportunity to strike. As the seconds dwindled down in the game, the Pack would come away with the “W” with a final score of 91-61.
Howell, who would finish with 25 points, gives a lot of credit to Gottfried .
“Coach Gottfried coming in and helping us in this type of situation is a blessing,” Howell said.
After the game, Coach Gottfried had positive things to say about the Pack’s performance.
“We did a lot of good things in the game,” Gottfried said. “You always appreciate winning and really what I liked tonight is we moved the ball well. Both games, the guys really shared the ball. Rarely are we ever taking a tough shot. We handled the full court pressure well tonight. We did a lot of good things tonight; a lot of guys got play so it’s a good game for us to build on.”
The Pack will face Princeton at 7 p.m . Wednesday at the RBC Center.
