NC State downs Pitt for fourth straight win
Posted February 28, 2021 6:17 p.m. EST
Updated February 28, 2021 7:19 p.m. EST
NC State has figured out how to win without Devon Daniels.
Pitt still hasn’t figured out how to beat NC State.
Jericole Hellems scored 15points to lead the Wolfpack to a 65-62 home win over the Panthers on Sunday.
It was the fourth straight ACC win for NC State (12-9) to even its league record at 8-8. It was also the 12th straight win for State over Pitt.
The Panthers (9-10, 5-9 ACC) have only one win, in 13 games, against NC State since joining the ACC in 2013.
NC State lost Daniels, its leading scorer, to a knee injury in a home win over Wake Forest on Jan. 27. The Wolfpack lost four of its next five games while it tried to adjust without Daniels, who led the team in scoring (16.5) and assists (3.1).
Since a poor effort in a 69-53 home loss to Duke on Feb. 13, NC State has reeled off wins over Pitt, Wake Forest and Virginia on the road.
"As a team, I think we’re just getting better and understanding what it takes to get a win," Hellems said.
Sunday’s was the first win at home since Daniels was injured. Braxton Beverly added 14 points, D.J. Funderburk had 13 and Manny Bates chipped in 10 points with six blocks for the Wolfpack.
"We talked a lot about how our freshmen have grown up but it was our upperclassmen who carried us tonight," NC State coach Kevin Keatts said.
Hellems, who has had his role increased the most without Daniels, finished 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
Justin Champagnie led a short-handed Pitt team with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Femi Odukale added 18 points for the the Panthers, who have lost five straight games and had two key players leave the program in the past week.
Guards Xavier Johnson (14.2 points per game) and Au’diese Toney (14.4 ppg) both decided to transfer and to not finish the season with the Panthers.
NC State led by 10 after each sided labored through the first half. The Panthers didn’t go away quietly in the second half. A 3-pointer by William Jeffress at 9:06 in the second half cut NC State’s lead to 52-49.
Four straight points from Terrell Brown pulled Pitt to 56-53 with 6:22 left. But each time, NC State had the answer by going inside to either Funderburk or Bates.
It was the third straight game NC State held the opponent to fewer than 65 points and the Panthers shot just 35.1 percent from the floor.
"This team is getting better defensively," Keatts said.
