State 73, Pittsburgh 58: Postgame observations

NC State turned up the defensive heat in the second half to pull away for a 73-58 ACC tournament win that keeps its NCAA hopes intact

GREENSBORO -- Following NC State’s open practice before the start of the ACC tournament Tuesday, D.J. Funderburk said that there are times in which the Wolfpack can look like the No. 1 team in nation.

He then added that there are also times in which it can look like the 350th team in the nation.

State wasn’t at either end of that spectrum on Wednesday in its tournament opener against Pittsburgh at Greensboro Coliseum. But it did look a lot like one of the 68 teams that will be selected to the NCAA tournament on Sunday.

Coach Kevin Keatts’ fifth-seeded team did what it had to do against the 13th-seeded Panthers, getting 23 points from Devin Daniels and turning up the defensive heat in the second half to pull away for a 73-58 victory that keeps its NCAA hopes alive and earns it a quarterfinal date against fourth-seeded Duke.

Here's a look at what State (20-12) did right against the Panthers (16-17) and what it needs to do in order to duplicate the effort on Thursday:

◼ Devon the tone-setter: A lot has been said and written about Markell Johnson's role as the Wolfpack's catalyst and he is by far the team's most impactful player, both good and bad. But when it comes to starting games with an energy that carries over to the other players on the court, it's Devon Daniels that's usually setting the tone.

You can tell when he's locked in by the aggressivness with which he attacks the rim on the game's first few possessions.

And he was locked in on Wednesday.

Daniels scored seven of State's first nine points, all either on drives or a free throw created by a drive. While he was responsible for most of the scoring, picking up 15 of his team's 35 first half points, others were quick to pick up on their teammate's intensity. Especially on the defensive end of the court.

The Wolfpack took Pitt out of the rhythm it used to shoot 53 percent from the floor in its opening round win against Wake Forest by recording nine seven steals while forcing nine turnovers during the opening 20 minutes. More important, it turned those Panther mistakes into 18 points.

Daniels finished the game with 23 points on 9 of 14 shooting with six rebounds and two steals. State was plus-26 with him on the court.

◼ Comfort zone: More and more teams have begun employing zone defenses against State in an effort to keep Johnson from doing what he does best -- coming off ball screens to create offense for himself and teammates. 

It's a strategy against which the Wolfpack has had mixed results -- good in wins at Miami and Syracuse, not so good in a loss to Duke at Cameron Indoor Staidum last week.

Wednesday was a little both.

State didn't react well when Pitt first switched to a zone late in the first half, a lapse on both ends of the court that allowed the Panther to run off nine straight points to get back to within 35-32 at the intermission. But it did a much better job in the second half.

With Daniels getting into the lane to hit a variety of floaters and Johnson consistently finding C.J. Bryce or Funderburk in the dead spot of the zone on the way to 11 assists -- his seventh game this season in double digits -- State was able to reestablish its lead and pull away for the badly needed victory.

◼ Sense of urgency: Keatts and his players have consistently said that they're not going to let themselves get caught up in the big picture conversation about their place on the NCAA bubble, instead concentrating the task at hand from game-to-game.

That might be true to a point.

Still, the way the Wolfpack played over the final 20 minutes Wednesday suggests that fully understood the importance of a game they simply could not afford to lose.

After wasting an opportunity to gain some separation late in the first half, State came out blazing in the second half. It quickly reestablished its momentum with two quick transition baskets, prompting Pitt coach Jeff Capel to call a timeout just 90 seconds into the period.

Then, with an assist from the Panthers' Xavier Johnson, the Wolfpack siezed control of the game again.

Johnson was called for a flagrant one foul after hitting Daniels in the face with an elbow as he tried to ward the State defender off while dribbling upcourt. 

Daniels hit both free throws and Bryce, who finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds, converted the ensuing possesion with a basket from the high post. A Johnson steal then led to a Bryce layup -- a six-point swing that put the Wolfpack back up by double digits.

And this time it didn't let up.

It eventually extended the lead to as many as 17 points before Keatts took Bryce, Johnson, Daniels and Funderburk out of the game for the final 2 1/2 minutes to save them for Thursday.

◼ What now? With 20 wins, four Quadrant 1 wins and a strong nonconference strength of schedule, the Wolfpack's NCAA tournament prospects are starting to look stronger every day. It can take the guesswork completely out of the equation on Thursday by beating Duke for the second time this season.

It's not out of the realm of possibility. 

State has been the better team in three of the four halves it has played against the Blue Devils this season, winning by 22 at PNC Arena on Feb. 19 before falling apart in the second half in a 19-point loss at Cameron Indoor Stadium two weeks later.

So what will it take to pull off a victory that would make the NCAA selection committee stand up and take notice?

It all goes back to Funderburk's original assessment -- figure out a way to play more like the No. 1 team in the nation than the No. 350 team for two games (and halves) in a row.