The world of college basketball is cold and unforgiving. Sometimes you can win by 40 points, and just four days later lose by the same amount.
Such was the case for Liberty as it traveled to Raleigh to take on NC State men’s basketball. Coming off a 42-point win over Coppin State, hopes were high for one of the top mid-majors.
Ranking fourth in the nation in three-point percentage at 43.1% and fifth in the nation in three-pointers per game, Liberty (6-3) planned to take full advantage of an NC State (7-3) defense that has gotten torched from the 3-point line over the last two weeks.
But quite the opposite happened in the Wolfpack’s 85-45 domination of the Flames. Of the 28 3-pointers that Liberty took, just six of them went in — an abysmal 21.4% from long range.
“We knew what we could be and what we could do,” said senior guard Quadir Copeland. “Just seeing it put together, I feel like this is one of our best games by far.”
For the last week, head coach Will Wade has talked about a lack of effort from his squad. He knew what the ceiling was, but felt as though they weren’t putting in the work required to reach it.
But when the Pack faced the No. 1 team in assist-to-turnover ratio — a nation-leading 2.21 — it put the clamps on. Liberty marked 14 assists, but 17 turnovers. Between a full court press, active hands and full effort, NC State made one of the nation’s most efficient offenses look lost.
“I felt like we wanted to today,” Copeland said. “We showed today that we want to get stops, we want to turn them over, we want to lead into easier offense for us. That was a show of that, a show of more want. It’s more of an effort thing than knowing the Xs and Os.”
Wade relied on Copeland — one of the few players he brought from McNeese State — to lead the team, and Copeland delivered. With 13 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, he likely would’ve marked the first NC State triple-double of the season had he not been subbed out with eight minutes remaining.
“He’s their engine, and Will knows it,” said Liberty head coach Ritchie McKay. “Put the ball in his hands, he can create for himself or a teammate. He’s unbelievably good defensively. He’s the kind of dude that you get mad at him when you’re coaching against him but you want him on your team.”
Copeland has established himself as the primary playmaker this season. Averaging nearly five assists per game, the offense has flowed through him and his decision-making.
“As a playmaker, I have to [pass well] and just find them in the right spots,” Copeland said. “I feel like they just make it easy. As long as they catch it, we good.”
Freshman Matt Able stepped onto the court sporting a black eye, courtesy of senior forward Ven-Allen Lubin in practice — something Wade said shows a sign of good effort. But the injury didn’t slow down Able at all, leading all scorers with 13 points on 67% shooting from the field. Whether it was an and-1 layup, an emphatic dunk or a long-range shot, Able provided.
“It was good to see him apply that and be able to get into the game and do what he’s supposed to do,” Wade said. “Very proud of his progress. He’s going to keep getting better.”
The blowout win pushes NC State to a 6-0 record at home and provides a massive momentum boost for the Wolfpack as it prepares to host No. 19 Kansas on Saturday, Dec. 13. After a dramatic showing at the Maui Invitational last week, the last two wins at the Lenovo Center have helped to ground the Pack and focus it on the path ahead.
“The goal is to protect the crib at all costs,” Copeland said. “We know that, these guys know that, our coaches know that. Not looking too far ahead and enjoying this win but also being able to move on and prepare for a good team in Kansas. But like I said, we’re a good team and we know what we can do.”
