No. 23 NC State Sneaks Past Boise State 81-70 At Maui Invitational
After suffering their first loss of the season in the Maui Invitational opener to Seton Hall, the NC State Wolfpack got back on track with their win against a potent Boise State Broncos squad. Today’s win helps to ensure that the Wolfpack will at best finish 5th, or at worst 6th, at this year’s Maui Invitational.
Defense Leads the Way For NC State
Steals, steals, and more steals, that was the name of the game for the Wolfpack as they grinded Boise State’s offense to a halt throughout the game. NC State Guard Matt Able led the way in the steals department with 5, as the Wolfpack scored a whopping 24 points off of 15 Broncos turnovers.
Those steals, combined with a smothering defensive approach by NC State, led to one of the worst games efficiency-wise all season for Boise State, especially from the three-point line. The Broncos finished the game shooting just 34% from the field, as well as 33% from three, with the former being the worst shooting game of the season so far for the Broncos.
NC State Regains Its Footing on Offense
After a poor outing on offense in the opener against Seton Hall, the Wolfpack was able to find its rhythm on offense to help push it across the finish line in the win. NC State Forward Darrion Williams led the way in scoring for the Wolfpack with 16 points, while his teammate Ven-Allen Lubin finished with a double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds.
That efficiency can easily be spotted in the Wolfpack’s team box score for this game, as they shot 50% from the field, with half of the team’s shots and points for the game coming from the mid-range and three-point line.
Upcoming Games For Boise State and NC State
Today’s win gives NC State a date with tonight’s winner between Chaminade and Texas for the chance to either finish 5th or 6th in Maui this year. Meanwhile, this loss for Boise State now moves the Broncos to 0-2 in Maui, with one last chance to leave the tournament with at least a win, as they’ll face the loser of the Chaminade-Texas game.
