It couldn’t have started much better for Terquavion Smith.
The sophomore guard was on fire in the first half, connecting on four 3-pointers to finish with 17 points in the first 20 minutes.
But Smith cooled off in the second half, only scoring two points and going 0-4 from the field. Luckily for him, graduate guard Jarkel Joiner picked up the slack, scoring 13 of his 17 points in the final 20 minutes to help the NC State men’s basketball team hold off Campbell 73-67.
The Wolfpack (2-0) got a good fight from the Camels (1-1), who kept it competitive throughout thanks to great 3-point shooting, finishing 10-18 from beyond the arc as a team for a 55.6% clip.
“The reason why I scheduled [Campbell] is because they’re a unique offensive team,” said head coach Kevin Keatts. “They make you guard for 30 seconds. I thought they came in with a complete, great game plan. They did a tremendous job. Our guys found a way to make some plays down the stretch.”
It was a back-and-forth first half with five ties and seven lead changes, and neither team led by more than seven. Smith had the hot hand early, hitting four 3s in the first nine minutes, but the Camels showed they could shoot the rock as well, hitting their first six 3s. After Campbell took the lead 32-30, the Pack went on a 9-2 run to take a 39-34 lead into halftime.
“I didn’t even know if Terquavion Smith was going to play,” Keatts said. “He had twisted his ankle at practice and it was going to be a game-time decision. He was tremendous tonight. When you look at the first half, what he did was outstanding.”
Another player that shined during the first half was graduate guard Jack Clark. The 6-foot-8 transfer from La Salle gave the Camels trouble with his aggressive defense. With two quick steals early in the game, Clark set the tone for the team on that end of the floor. By the end of the game he had an impressive four steals.
NC State tried to pull away in the second half, leading by as many as nine near the midway point, but every time Campbell had an answer, quickly closing the lead back to two. The Camels were led offensively by guard Ricky Clemons, who scored 18 points. If his name looks familiar, it’s because his brother, Chris Clemons, a Raleigh native and graduate of Millbrook High School, was also a star for Campbell and has seen time in the NBA with the Houston Rockets.
Joiner came up big in crunch time, scoring eight straight points for the Pack, including a clutch jumper to give NC State a 4-point lead with 31 seconds left. Needing a stop, the Pack got one as the Camels missed a 3-pointer, and Clark drilled two free throws to put NC State up 73-67, icing the game.
“Jarkel Joiner took over the game and did a great job,” Keatts said. “It was a gritty win for us, one of those wins that you usually see in January and February when you’re in ACC play.”
It was a tale of two halves for Smith and Joiner, as Smith led the team in the first and Joiner led the team in the second, finishing with a combined 36 points. The backcourt tandem even impressed Campbell head coach Kevin McGeehan.
“They’re both really, really good players,” McGeehan said. “I think Joiner was a really good pick up. Smith will probably be a first round pick next year. Joiner really helps a lot, his ability to defend and just make [NC State] go, make plays for others … I think they’re pretty darn good. I think that’s a duo that’s gonna carry [NC State] a long way.”
One of the key differences between the teams was their success at the free throw line. Although each team missed 11 free throws, NC State got to the line far more often, finishing 21-32 from the stripe, while Campbell only went 7-18. The disparity between the two teams’ success at the line gave NC State just enough separation to escape with a win.
NC State will return to the court on Nov. 15 at 9 p.m. to take on the FIU Panthers. The game will be in PNC Arena and will air on RSN.
