WRAL Sports Fan

North Carolina State University

NC State easily takes win over Florida State, 84-66

By The Sports Network

Feb 19, 2013

Raleigh, N.C. — FINAL: Behind TJ Warren's career high 31 points and 13 rebounds, NC State easily took a win over Florida State Tuesday.

8:11 second half, 65-52 NC State: TJ Warren and CJ Leslie have a combined 36 points as they lead NC State over Florida State in the second half. 

15:26 second half, 48-34 NC State: The Wolfpack hold their largest lead of the game at the first break after the half. TJ Warren continues to power his team ahead of the Seminoles with 14 points. CJ Leslie joins Warren in double figures with 11 points.

Halftime: Freshman TJ Warren leads NC State with 11 points, five rebounds and a steal at the half. The Wolfpack are beating the Seminoles on the boards 30-10 and shooting slightly better than the Florida team. The Wolfpack have the 40-30 halftime lead.

8:45 first half, 22-12 NC State: CJ Leslie is leading the Pack with seven points and three rebounds as they stay ahead of the Seminoles easily in the first half. 

14:27 first half, 15-8 NC State: The Wolfpack is out to a hot start against Florida State, after two Seminole turnovers resulted in immediate Lo Brown and Richard Howell buckets FSU opted for a timeout. 

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After surviving a scare against Virginia Tech Saturday, the North Carolina State Wolfpack are back at the PNC Arena Tuesday evening for a 7 p.m. showdown with Florida State. 

The Wolfpack collected a 90-86 win Saturday afternoon, the second win in a row for NC State, who is 13-1 at home this season. 

Scott Wood poured in 22 points to pace the team while Richard Howell collected 16 rebounds and Lorenzo Brown dealt out seven assists. The Wolfpack were expected to be a contender for the ACC crown this season after their impressive run in the NCAA Tournament a year ago.

They have not disappointed offensively, ranking ninth in the nation in scoring (78.4) on a fifth-best 49.9 percent shooting from the floor, but they are one of the worst defensive teams in the ACC with an allowed average of 73.2 ppg.

The Seminoles' game against the Wolfpack marks the first of two meetings this season between the two teams, who were both selected to finish in the top four of the league standings. Florida State and NC State will close out the regular season in Tallahassee on March 9 before both teams head to the ACC Tournament. NC State is 27-21 in history against FSU.

Although FSU is just 6-6 in ACC action and 14-11 overall on the campaign, it is one of just three teams in the conference with at least three wins over league rivals on the road. Coach Leonard Hamilton's squad is coming off a hard-fought, 69-66 home win over Boston College.

Michael Snaer scored 21 points to lead the way as the Seminoles connected on 51 percent of their field goal tries. Devon Bookert dished out a career-high eight assists in just his second career start to help FSU fend off BC.

Snaer, who has built a Robert Horry-like reputation for big shots at the buzzer, had not netted 20 points in conference action this season before going 8-of-10 from the floor versus the Eagles for FSU. Okaro White chipped in 13 points and eight boards. Outside of Snaer and White, the Seminoles lack a consistent scorer. FSU's interior play has not been up to par this season.

Recently, it was outscored, 32-16, in the paint and also 19-1 in second chance points by a weak Wake Forest unit.

NC State will provide a much tougher test in the post than the Demon Deacons with its unbelievable array of forwards. C.J. Leslie's athleticism has helped him produce 15.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per tilt, while Howell contributes a double-double average of 13.2 points and 11 rebounds per game. The Wolfpack were a much different team while Brown was injured, but they are 2-0 since he came back to tally 30 points, 11 assists, eight rebounds and three steals over the past two games.

Snaer should be able to match whatever Wood and Brown produce from the backcourt, but FSU is going to have trouble matching the Wolfpack on the glass and in the paint. The Seminoles will need to put on an accurate shooting display if they hope to steal another one on the road.