N.C. State falls to Florida State in down-to-the-wire game. Here’s what we learned
A N.C. State game coming down to the wire is nothing new.
Unfortunately, the results have been the same.
For the first time in the Kevin Keatts era, the Wolfpack dropped its fifth straight game, this time 83-81 to Florida State.
Despite a combined 55 points from Dereon Seabron and Terquavion Smith, N.C. State fell to 7-7 overall and 0-3 in the league. It’s the Wolfpack’s first 0-3 start to ACC play since the 2015-16 season.
N.C. State and Florida State brought in 2022 with another classic inside PNC Arena. Florida State got a clutch offensive board and one free throw from Matthew Cleveland to put the Noles ahead by two with 8.3 seconds left. The scene was set after a corner 3 from N.C. State’s Smith made it a one-point FSU lead.
With 8.4 seconds remaining, the Pack turned the ball over at midcourt, missing its chance to win at the end.
After trailing by as many as five late in the second half, Smith tied the score at 72 with a 3-pointer with 2:44 remaining. Seabron (32 points), who had a strong final five minutes, scored four straight to give the Wolfpack a one-point lead with under two minutes remaining.
Trailing by two after an old-fashioned three-point play by Caleb Mills, N.C. State called a timeout with 1:24 left in the game. Seabron attacked the rim but missed the layup as FSU came down with the rebound with one minute left.
Malik Osborne put the game away with a pair of free throws, making it a four-point game with 55 ticks remaining.
N.C. State started the second half hot, hitting three of its first four shots from the field. The Noles were the complete opposite, going 0 for 3 from the field, sandwiched between a pair of turnovers. It was similar to the start of the game when FSU opened 1 of 5 from the floor.
Smith (23 points) continued his impressive rookie campaign, scoring five quick baskets early in the second half. Over the next few minutes both teams got sloppy with the basketball, combining for five turnovers and just three made field goals.
At the 11:50 media timeout, N.C. State and FSU were a combined 0 of 8 from the floor in the previous 3:44, a lid on the hoop for both teams.
That’s when Osborne got going for the Seminoles. The senior forward scored eight in a row, including back-to-back 3-pointers. During the same span, the Pack missed three in a row.
N.C. State went nearly four minutes before its next field goal, a twisting layup by Seabron. The Pack surrendered a layup to Cleveland on the other end, pushing the FSU lead to three. Another layup by Cleveland after a missed layup by Thomas Allen, made it a five-point advantage in favor of the Noles with 5:29 remaining.
Down, but never out, Seabron took over, scoring the next seven points, tying the score at 67 with 4:46 on the clock. Seabron made it nine straight with another whirlwind layup to make it a one-point game, 70-69, exchanging layups with FSU forward Cam’Ron Fletcher.
Here’s what we learned:
TA in the starting lineup
Local product Thomas Allen started for the first time this season. Allen, who played his prep ball at Garner, scored 13 points in 27 minutes off the bench against Miami. Allen started 15 games a year ago before suffering a season-ending injury.
He made the most of his opportunity, taking the place of Cam Hayes in the first five. Allen finished with nine points. Allen connected on a season-high three 3-pointers.
T for three
N.C. State freshman guard Terquavion Smith’s first basket in the opening half was a long 3. That made basket meant Smith has connected on at least one 3-pointer in 10 consecutive games. He leads the team with 36 made 3-pointers this season.
Big Noles
Stop if you’ve heard this before, but Leonard Hamilton keeps some size on his roster. The 2021-22 version of the FSU roster features four players listed at 7 feet or taller. At one point during the game Hamilton had 7-1 freshman John Butler and 7-4 junior Naheem McLeod on the floor at the same time. Butler, who is listed as a forward, spent most of his time on the perimeter, even guarding N.C. State’s point guard at the top of the key on several occasions.
This story was originally published January 1, 2022 at 6:17 PM with the headline "N.C. State falls to Florida State in down-to-the-wire game. Here’s what we learned."
