Raleigh, NC (Sports Network) - The No. 14 NC State Wolfpack look to bounce
back from their first Atlantic Coast Conference loss of the season on Sunday
when they host the Clemson Tigers.
This will be the 146th meeting in history between these schools on the
hardwood. NC State owns a 97-48 all-time series lead after the ACC rivals
split their last four encounters.
Brad Brownell's Tigers will be a tough visitor, as they are coming off two
straight wins in which they held both Virginia and Wake Forest to just 44
points. Clemsons consecutive games holding ACC opponents to 45 points or less
was a first in school history since the league formed in 1953. The back-to-
back victories improved the Tigers to 2-2 in the league standings, but they
have lost their last two true road games. Senior forward Devin Booker is
pacing the team with 12.1 points per game and is averaging 10.8 rebounds per
game in ACC play, third-best in league games. K.J. McDaniels (10.9 ppg, 4.8
rpg) and Milton Jennings (10.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg) are both significant contributors
in the scoring column, while Rod Hall deals out 3.9 assists per contest from
the point guard slot.
McDaniels tallied a game-high 14 points, grabbed a career-high nine boards,
and rejected seven shots to lead Clemson past Wake Forest. Also scoring in
double figures for the hosts were Adonis Filer and Booker with 13 and 12
points, respectively, the latter adding eight rebounds and a pair of blocks of
his own. The Tigers held Wake Forest to 24.6 percent shooting while knocking
down 44.9 percent of their own field goals, including 6-of-14 from 3-point
range. On the season, Clemson is second to last in the ACC in scoring (64.1),
but it sits near the top with the second lowest scoring defense (55.4) in the
conference.
The Wolfpack return home where they are 10-0 in 2012-13, after suffering a
heartbreaking, 51-50, loss to Maryland on Wednesday in College Park. Coach
Mark Gottfried's team made a big stop when it needed it in the closing
seconds, but the Terrapins' Alex Len scooped up the miss mid-air and put in
the game-winning basket. The loss dropped the Wolfpack to a 14-3 overall
record including their 3-1 mark in the ACC. Five players average double
figures for the Wolfpack, while Rodney Purvis averages 9.4 points per game.
C.J. Leslie leads NC State in scoring at 16 points per game. Richard Howell
averages a double-double and leads the ACC in rebounding at 10.5 boards per
contest.
Although NC State has the eighth highest scoring offense in the nation at 79.6
points per game, it could not figure out Maryland's defense. The Wolfpack, a
53 percent shooting team on the season, made just 31.1 percent of their shots
in the game. Point guard Lorenzo Brown scored 17 points with eight rebounds
and four assists, while Leslie posted 13 points and five rebounds. Although
they are the best offensive team in the ACC statistically, they are also the
second to worst defensive squad, allowing 69.0 points per tilt.
The Sports Network