City of Basketball Love

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin)
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A puzzling North Carolina State matchup zone was too much for a young Saint Joseph’s squad to solve, as the Wolfpack used a suffocating defensive stretch to pull away from the Hawks for a 73-63 win in the consolation game of the Paradise Jam.

At First…
After the teams combined for 16 points in the opening seven minutes, Saint Joseph’s grabbed the momentum with an 11-2 run to open up a 20-9 advantage with 10:11 remaining on a dunk by Javon Baumann. But that was the Hawks’ last basket for an eight-minute span, as NC State’s defense led the way in a 22-4 run, putting the Wolfpack up 31-24, and it was a 34-30 NC State lead at halftime.

Turning Point…
Though it was far from a game-ending run, North Carolina State’s defense frustrated the St. Joe’s attack for the opening four minutes of the second half, turning a four-point advantage into a 13-point lead five minutes into the period. The Hawks made several runs over the remainder of the game, getting within six and seven points on several occasions, but couldn't find the legs for a final push to take them over the top. The Wolfpack finally put the exclamation point on the win with a Terry Henderson fast-break dunk

Standout Stars…
The No. 1 point guard in the 2016 recruiting class and a five-star prospect, NC State frehsman Dennis Smith, Jr. showed why he’s on pace to be a future NBA Draft lottery selection. The 6-2, 190-pound guard paced the Pack with 24 points, dishing off eight assists as well to lead four teammates in double figures. Sophomore guard Torin Dorn added 19 points in all 40 minutes; Henderson (15 pts) and Abdul-Malik Abu (12 pts) joined them.

Noteworthy Numbers…
14.2: For the second consecutive game, St. Joe’s sophomore Lamarr Kimble struggled from the field; he went 1-for-15 against NC State a day after going 3-for-13 in the loss to Ole Miss, making him 4-for-28 (.142) in his last two games after starting off the season going 23-of-47 (.489) over the team’s first three contests.

10: Despite facing one of the nation’s top frontcourts in NC State’s Abdul-Malik Abu and Beejay Anya, Saint Joseph’s won the rebounding battle 43-33 thanks to a full-team effort on the glass.

Up Next…
Saint Joseph’s (3-2) vs. Temple (2-2) -- Wed., Nov. 30, 7 PM