Boston College men’s basketball hadn’t beaten North Carolina State on the road since 2007 entering Wednesday night.
BC scored 21 points off of 18 Wolfpack turnovers. The Eagles (11–16, 6–11 Atlantic Coast) shut down NC State (11–17, 4–13) on defense, forcing the Wolfpack into foul trouble early on in the first quarter. Because of foul trouble, NC State relegated ACC Freshman of the Week Terquavion Smith to the bench for a few crucial minutes, and BC defeated the Wolfpack 69–61.
“So, I don’t really want to trap and gamble and press,” BC head coach Earl Grant said in his postgame press conference about his defensive strategy. “I just want to pressure you and see if you make a mistake.”
That strategy appeared to work to the Eagles’ advantage, as BC registered 12 steals and forced 18 turnovers on the night.
“We’ve been close,” Grant said. “We just kind of play well at times [and are] close but no cigar. And now we get to say we got the cigar.”
Quinten Post led the Eagles with 18 points on 90 percent shooting from the field. Jaeden Zackery registered 16 points, including shooting 60 percent from 3-point range. In his return from a toe injury, DeMarr Langford Jr. totaled nine points and three steals.
Grant adjusted his starting five for Wednesday’s game, choosing to have both of his big men— Post and James Karnik—share the court. The pair combined for 29 points and forced the Wolfpack to choose which player to defend with its center, leaving the other with a great size mismatch.
“What we noticed was that it was a lot of size for us … and we really hurt them inside early,” Grant said. “I think that had a lot to do with us getting off to a good start.”
The Wolfpack kept the game competitive despite Smith’s two early fouls. He hit four 3-pointers on his way to a 21-point night. Dereon Seabron added 20 points, and NC State cut the BC lead to eight with less than two minutes remaining.
BC controlled the clock in the last few minutes of the game and converted steals into offensive opportunities, putting the game away.
The Eagles held the lead throughout most of the game, balancing lock-down defensive with a team shooting percentage above 50 percent.
“We keep fighting,” Post said. “We’re seeing the fruits of our labor and getting some wins. So, it feels great, and we feel great.”
Featured Image by Nicole Wei / Heights Staff
