FSU Basketball: Noles scrap out a win against NC State

FSU basketball needed a win against a scrappy NC State to keep their No. 4 seed hopes alive. It wasn’t pretty but the Noles got the job done.

No. 18 FSU basketball (23-6, 11-5 ACC) continues their dominance at home with a tough 78-73 win over NC State (20-9, 8-8 ACC) Saturday afternoon.

The win ties FSU with Virginia Tech for the No. 4 spot in the ACC standings with the two teams squaring off Tuesday night in the Tucker Center.

The Noles looked to pull away from the Wolfpack on several occasions, but turnovers and some timely three-point shooting kept NC State within striking distance.

FSU led by five at the half and ironically won by five points as well. Offensively it was scoring by committee with Mfiondu Kabengele leading the way with 16 points off the bench.

M.J. Walker had 13 points with Trent Forrest and Terrance Mann scoring 13 and 11 points respectively. FSU shot 48 percent overall and only took 13 three-point attempts while going to the free throw line 30 times.

One of the keys to the game was free throw shooting for the Noles as they made 76 percent from the charity stripe. FSU basketball also had a number of timely offensive rebounds that resulted in points.

They were +7 overall on the boards.

Defensively, they  held NC State to 40 percent shooting but it was their 47 percent from long-range they kept them close. They made nine of 19 from beyond the arc.

Thoughts

This was a game FSU basketball likely loses a few years ago. They showed a lot of mental toughness as NC State made some big shots each time the Noles looked to put them away.

Free throw shooting has not been a strong suit in past years, but it’s paying off for the Noles this season big time. That could be key for the Noles in the ACC and NCAA Tournament along with their depth and defense.

If they beat Virginia Tech they’ll receive a double bye in the ACC Tournament. Be sure to pack the house Tuesday night as the game will air on ESPNU at 7 p.m. ET.