Three Wolfpack Stars From Dominant Home Win Over Syracuse

RALEIGH — After hitting a rough patch in the Lenovo Center early in the ACC schedule, NC State regained its strength and home-court advantage with an 88-68 win over the visiting Syracuse Orange on Tuesday. The Wolfpack controlled the game through most of the 40 minutes and while the road team made some pushes, it never felt like a threat.

The Pack rode some star performances on Tuesday, while also getting some unsung help off the bench. NC State's big three played some high-level basketball throughout the win and easily could be called the three stars from the victory over the Orange, but one member of the reserve unit deserves his flowers as well.

Sagnia shines off the bench

The process of bringing Musa Sagnia up to speed on American basketball has been deliberate for head coach Will Wade and the rest of the Wolfpack staff. The 6-foot-10 forward played professional basketball in Spain before electing to come to the United States and join NC State. The Syracuse game felt like a major step in the right direction for Sagnia.

He scored a career-high 10 points off the bench, shooting 5-of-6 from the field. Sagnia played key defensive minutes against Syracuse sophomore forward Donnie Freeman and showed his growth as a perimeter defender a handful of times. While fouling remains an issue, as he picked up three in 14 minutes, there is a growing trust in Sagnia to provide steady minutes off the bench to spell Ven-Allen Lubin, who also played well, scoring 18 points of his own.

Copeland's Syracuse revenge

With so much attention falling on Quadir Copeland before the game because of his experience playing with Syracuse for two years, there were some questions about whether he'd be able to control his emotions and play a clean game. He silenced any doubt, playing one of his steadiest games to date.

Copeland finished with 19 points, nine assists and four steals. He did turn the ball over four times, hence the near-flawless tag rather than a truly perfect performance, especially according to his tough-love coach. The guard tried to take advantage of mismatches created by the awkward Syracuse defensive strategy.

Williams toughens up at the Lenovo Center

After scoring just seven points in each of the Wolfpack's home ACC losses, Darrion Williams regained some of his offensive form. A phone call with a family friend reminded the forward of his skill when he plays with more physicality. He displayed that skill and played much more effectively with his back to the basket.

Williams scored 23 points, shooting 9-for-16 from the field and 5-for-9 from 3-point range. He added six rebounds and five assists to his total, but also committed five turnovers. His return to form for the Wolfpack in the Lenovo Center bodes well for the remainder of the ACC campaign.

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