Marcus Hill scored 19 points as host North Carolina State pulled away from visiting William & Mary for an 81-59 victory Friday night in Raleigh, NC.
Hill shot 7-of-13 from the floor and had four rebounds, two assists and two steals in the win. NC State (5-0) also got 12 points from Jayden Taylor and Dontrez Styles, as well as 10 points and nine rebounds from Brandon Huntley-Hatfield. Off the bench, Ben Middlebrooks added to the scoring effort with 11 points, seven rebounds, four blocks and three assists.
For the Tribe (3-4), Noah Collier scored a game-high 25 points and Gabe Dorsey added 13 points and four rebounds.
The Tribe jumped out to an early four-point lead following a sequence in which Collier threw down a dunk, Dorsey hit a 3-pointer, then Collier hit one of his teammates’ missed layups. NC State rallied early, breaking out on a 20-3 run, stymied by Huntley-Hatfield knocking down a shot from outside the arc and throwing the next possession.
NC State led by 25 points.
Leading by 19 entering the second half, the Wolfpack saw their lead dwindle to just seven points with 5:29 to play after an 18-6 run by William & Mary. NC State answered again, closing out the game with a 22-6 run — a stretch that featured a timely two-handed dunk in transition and a smooth 3-pointer from Styles, who finished with nine points.
NC State forced the Tribe into 21 turnovers and scored 29 points on those extra possessions. The Wolfpack also outshot William & Mary 36-9 on fast breaks and 46-28 in the paint.
Next up for undefeated NC State — which has yet to face a powerhouse conference opponent this season — is a final-four rematch with No. 6 Purdue on Thanksgiving in San Diego.
–Field Level Media
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