The NC State men’s basketball team started its season off Friday with a big win over Jackson State, 93-58. Sophomore guard Anthony ‘Cat’ Barber scored a career-high 25 points in the win.
State (1-0) wasted no time asserting its dominance over the Tigers (0-1), jetting off to a 20-8 run to start the game. Head coach Mark Gottfried said he was happy to see his team in such a rhythm on offense.
“It was nice to get off to a good start offensively,” Gottfried said. “Every game’s going to be a little bit different, but it’s always nice when you’ve got that lead.”
The opening half belonged to the Wolfpack ball-handlers, as Barber and redshirt junior guard Trevor Lacey recorded 36 of the Pack’s 47 first-half points. No other State player had more than two points at halftime.
“Trevor and Cat got a lot of things going offensively,” Gottfried said. “They feed off of one another, penetrate and pitch back and forth.”
Lacey made the most of his first game in a Wolfpack uniform, netting 10 points before the halfway mark in the first half. The Huntsville, Alabama native finished the first game with 22 points on eight-for-10 shooting.
The performance was a relief for the Pack newcomer, as Lacey said his hot hand gave him the confidence he needed to be dominant.
“It was great seeing my first shot go down,” Lacey said. “That helped me be more aggressive. It helps everybody else when I’m making shots because I set my teammates up when guys are closing down on me.”
Barber played with great poise on the court, dishing out six assists while never turning over the ball.
“That’s where he’s really tried to get better,” Gottfried said. “He’s really making the effort. He’s a good scorer, but he’s also a good passer, and he’s trying to find ways to run his team and take control.”
State kept its foot on the gas in the second half, while the Tigers continued to struggle on the offensive side of the ball. Jackson State missed 16 of its first 20 shots in the second, allowing the Pack to extend its lead to 37 with 7:45 remaining.
Gottfried said the blowout victory was a great way to start the season, but there is still room for his team to improve, specifically his interior players. Freshman forward Abdul-Malik Abu went scoreless on the night, while sophomore forwards BeeJay Anya, Kyle Washington and Lennard Freeman combined for just 15 points.
“It’s a good start, but I think our team will be different every night,” Gottfried said. “We need to get more out of our bigs. The ball’s got to go in there more, and the guys have to learn how to post up more.”
The Pack will return to action Monday night, as the team hosts the Hofstra Pride.