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MBB: State pulls away from York in Toronto for exhibition win

Aug 30, 2008

TORONTO, CANADA – Brandon Costner led four N.C. State players in double figures with a game-high 31 points, as the Pack came away with an 81-60 win at York University in the first of two exhibition games in Toronto this weekend.

Holding a 51-48 lead late in the third quarter, the State went on a 7-1 run to end the quarter thanks to six points from sophomore Tracy Smith. The Pack would then limit York to just two field goals in the final 10 minutes of play for the win.

“I thought we played well in that second half, our effort was just much better,” said head coach Sidney Lowe. “It starts with defense, and we made a real effort to get it done on the defensive end. I especially thought our guys down low were the key in that second half. They crashed the boards and that led to easy baskets.”

Smith’s spark started with a dunk at the 2:04 mark of the third quarter, and the Pack built up a 10 point lead, its largest of the game at that point. The Pack would outscore York 23-11 in that final quarter, and limited them to 26.7 (8-30) from the field in the second half overall.

The Wolfpack is shorthanded this weekend with three players, including two potential starters, missing both of the exhibition games.

Senior Ben McCauley did not make the trip to Toronto for conduct detrimental to the team according to Lowe.

Point guard Farnold Degand is coming off of an ACL injury and forward Johnny Thomas is recovering from knee surgery. Both players hope to be ready by the time practice starts in mid-October.

N.C. State started the contest with Javier Gonzalez and Trevor Ferguson in the backcourt, with Courtney Fells, Costner and Smith as the forwards. Fells finished with 13 points, while Ferguson and Smith each notched 11 points.

A back-and-forth first 20 minutes that saw N.C. State maintain a narrow lead throughout, Costner scored 10 of the Pack’s 12 final points of that half to give the Pack a 35-33 lead at the break.

The Pack struggled from the field in the first half, hitting just 12-of-42 (28.6 percent) shots and was just 2-of-11 (18.2 percent) from three-point range.

“The first half was just a feeling out process for us, but we played much better in the second half,” said Costner. “We were more aggressive coming out of the lockerroom, and we finished plays that we were not taking advantage of in the first half. Our focus was taking it inside and hitting the offensive glass, and that is the main reason we were able to pull away.”

N.C. State will hold another practice tomorrow morning, and then face the University of Guelph at 7:00 p.m. Sunday night.