Hot-shooting NC State powers past Presbyterian
Jayden Taylor scored 19 points and Ben Middlebrooks added 16 as North Carolina State shook off Presbyterian in the second half and finished off an 81-72 nonconference victory Friday at Raleigh, N.C.
Brandon Huntley-Hatfield and Michael O'Connell each scored 11 points as the Wolfpack (2-0) shot 55.4 percent from the floor and had 48 points in the paint. Dontrez Styles contributed nine points and seven rebounds for NC State.
Kory Mincy scored a career-high 28 points and Kobe Stewart added 20 as the Blue Hose (1-2) fell to a power conference team, with games against Miami (Fla.) and South Carolina to come next month ahead of Big South Conference play.
Presbyterian was able to hold its own by matching NC State in rebounds at 29 each. Jonah Pierce had nine boards and eighth points for the Blue Hose, while Jaylen Peterson had seven rebounds.
The Blue Hose were within 67-58 with 6:23 remaining after a free throw from Stewart. The Wolfpack took control with a 6-0 run that included a pair of dunks from Middlebrooks for a 73-58 lead with 4:38 remaining.
Presbyterian pulled back within single digits in the closing seconds after finishing the game on an 8-2 run.
Presbyterian was competitive in the early going, trailing just 19-18 at the midway point of the first half. NC State had its biggest first-half lead at 34-20 with 4:21 remaining before the break, but the Blue Hose cut the deficit to 38-31 entering halftime.
The Wolfpack shot 51.6 percent from the floor in the first half with 24 points in the paint. The Blue Hose shot 40 percent in the opening 20 minutes and did not have a point from any of their bench players.
Presbyterian finished at 50.0 percent from the floor in the game after shooting 61.5 percent in the second half.
Peterson, a starting forward, injured his left ankle with a minute remaining in the first half and was limited to five minutes in the second half.
