Gameday Live Blog/Open Thread: State vs. Louisville
The calendar has flipped to February, the shortest month of the year and the most important month for college basketball teams flirting with the NCAA tournament bubble.
Every win and loss will be magnified over the next 29 days, especially those in games designated as Quadrant 1 contests by the NET ranking system. Today's matchup against No. 6 Louisville is just such an opportunity for NC State.
A win would get the second half of the conference schedule off to a strong start and greatly enhance the Wolfpack's resume come Selection Sunday.
But it won't be easy. Not only will Kevin Keatts' team have to find an answer for ACC Player of the Year candidate Jordan Nwora and a balanced Louisville lineup, but it will have to hope its own leading scorer -- C.J. Bryce -- remembers how to put the ball in the basket after two straight scoreless outings.
As you wait for the festivities to get started this at PNC Arena, here are some reading suggestions to pass the time:
Keatts' New, New Year's Resolution
Wolfpack Faces Challenging Road Ahead
Wolfpack Needs 'Good Markell' to be its Best
Would Jalen Lecque Have Made a Difference?
Wolfpack Tipoff: Game 22, Louisville
PREGAME
Pat Andree is in uniform and warming up again, just as he did for Monday's game against UNC. Still no word if he'll actually play today. He's missed the past three games because of an ankle injury. He he does get into the game, it will mark only the third game against an ACC opponent this season that the Wolfpack will have had all nine scholarship players healthy and available to contribute. ...
TV Teddy, Raymie Styons and Sean Hull are the men in stripes today.
Markell Johnson, Devon Daniels, C.J. Bryce, Jericole Hellems and D.J. Funderburk starting for State ...
Understanding that Kevin Keatts is far more knowledgable and experienced than I am, if I was coaching the Wolfpack, I'd try to run something that gets Bryce a layup early just to get him off the schneid after going scoreless for the past two games. State absolutely has to have him make a meaningful contribution to have any shot at winning today ...
If you took the over on the singing of the national anthem today, you're a winner ... guy singing it did it in a leisurely one minute, 51 seconds. ...
FIRST HALF
Louisville's first two baskets have been on easy dribble penetration to the rim. Got to cut that off or it's going to be a very long afternoon for the Wolfpack ...
State fullcourt press creates a steal, but Johnson misses the dunk. Wolfpack has already forced three Loiusville turnovers in the first 2 1/2 minutes ...
Four fouls on the Cardinals already. This is different. Make that five fouls on the Cardinals before the first TV timeout ...
Bryce misses his first shot, a baseline jumper. He's now 0 for his last 13 from the floor ...
And now Bryce is called for walking trying to go to the basket in transition after yet another steal. He's trying way too hard right now ...
State has already forced five turnovers, but has only two points off them. The Wolfpack is 1 for its first 7 from the floor ...
First TV timeout: Wolfpack 5, Cardinals 4
Braxton Beverly into the game. In two career games against the Cardinals, Beverly is averaging 16 points per game and shooting 66.7 percent from the floor (12 of 18) A native of Hazard, Ky., he is also shooting 66.7 percent on 3-pointers (8 of 12) against his home state foe. State is 9-1 this season when Beverly hits two or more 3-pointers in a game ...
Andre into the game for the first time since Clemson three games ago. He gets a nice ovation from the crowd. ...
Bryce misses at the rim in traffic. Looked like he was fouled. He still hasn't scored ...
Beverly hits his first 3-point attempt ...
State is already in the bonus with 11:44 still remaining ...
Under 12 TV timeout: Cardinals 11, Wolfpack 10
Funderburk is having trouble holding onto the ball today. That's about three he's fumbed, two of which went out of bounds ..
Someone in the league office must have sent out a memo about the disparity in fouls that have been called on State this season. Because Louisville has been called for 10 already, putting the Wolfpack in the double bonus for the final 9 1/2 minutes of the period. State has only been called for three thus far ...
The Bryce drought finally ends at just under 93 minutes. He hits a fallaway jumper from the right baseline to put the Wolfpack ahead 19-17 and gets a loud ovation. Looked like he thought about putting it on the floor and taking it to the hole, but his made had the baseline cut off so he pulled up. Maybe this will finally get him going again ...
Under eight TV timeout: State 21, Louisville 19
State can't keep leaving Louisville's Ryan McMahon open. He might look like Ollie from Hoosiers, but he can shoot. He's made three straight 3-pointers since coming into the game. ...
Make that four in a row for Ollie, er, McMahon ...Keatts wants timeout to maybe tell his guys to cover him. ... Louisville up 28-21 on the strength of a 9-0 run over past 2 1/2 minutes. State has at least one of these ever game, it seems ...
State is 6 of 21 from the floor (29 percent). Louisville is 11 for 21 (52 percent). That's the difference in the game right now ... The Wolfpack has forced 11 Cardinals turnovers already, but have committed seven of its own. ...
McMahonis now 6 of 6 on 3-pointers and has 18 points. It's a 14-0 Louisville run.
Johnson finally breaks the drought at just under four minutes, cuts the deficit back to 10 ...
And Bryce misfires from 3 ...
McMahon finally misses a three on the final possession of the half, but the damage is done. Louisville finishes on a 22-5 run and is up big after 20 minutes ...
Halftime: Cardinals 41, Wolfpack 26
SECOND HALF
The Wolfpack has its work cut out for it here in the second half. Cutting off dribble penetration would be helpful. So would covering Ryan McMahon on the perimeter. And oh yeah, making a few baskets would work, too. State was just 8 of 27 in the first half, 1 of 9 from 3-point range ...
Daniels scores on a drive and an offensive rebound and Bryce scores in the lane ... State back to within single digites ... 43-34. But Louisville's Darius Perry answers with a trey ...
Strange happening here .... a whistle is blown -- presumably for a Louisville foul -- and Bryce knocks down a 3 that clearly looked as if it came after the whistle. Styons waved the basket off. But after consulting with the other two officials, the shot is ruled good and the Cardinals' Chris Mack can't believe it. Looks like it's going to count. State back to within single digits ...
Under 16 TV timeout: Cardinals 46, Wolfpack 37
And State gets the ball back because of the foul ... and Bryce scores again on a tip-in of a Funderburk miss. It's a 13-3 Wolfpack run ...
He's baaaaa-ck … Bryce hits two-pointers in a row, sandwiched around a tip-in of a Funderburk miss. And now a free throw to complete a four-point play and the Wolfpack is back to within 48-43. The senior wing now has 13 points to lead his team ...
And now a 7-0 State run to cut the gap to four at 56-52 with 11 minutes left ...
McMahon has made seven 3-pointers and fans are taunting him with "airball" chant because he fired one up at the shot clock buzzer a little while ago. Cmon folks. Be smarter than that. ...
Under 8 TV timeout: Louisville 63, State 55
Louisville is 10 of 17 from 3-point range (59 percent). That's on the defense, of course, but the Cardinals shoot nearly 40 percent from beyond the arc as a team for the season ...
McMahon comes out to a huge ovation from the Louisville fans sitting behind its bench ... He finished with 23 points ... Louisville finishes 11 of 20 from 3-point range and the Wolfpack is running out of chances to build an NCAA tournament resume ...
Final: Louisville 77, State 57
