GAME THREAD: MBB at North Carolina State

[PonyPride]

Mustangs and Wolfpack tip off at 11 AM Saturday in Raleigh.

Game can be seen on The CW.

[PonyPride]

NC State starters
G 3 Dontrez Styles
G 8 Jayden Taylor
G 10 Marcus Hill
G 12 Michael O'Connell
C 34 Ben Middlebrooks

SMU starters
G 0 B.J. Edwards
G 2 Boopie Miller
F 5 Tibet Görener
F 33 Matt Cross
C 24 Samet Yiğitoğlu

[Charleston Pony]

Interesting to see Tibet starting today. Thought about making the trip to Raleigh after hearing Boopie say NC State was the loudest and most rowdy crowd he remembered from his days at Wake but decided to watch this one from the comfort of home. This is a really big game for our guys as we go into a stretch of games against "middle of the pack" ACC teams. Anxious to see how we measure up to the Wolfpack

[PonyPride]

The Mustangs come in to today's game with a record of 14-5 overall and 5-3 in ACC games

NC State is 9-9 overall and 2-5 in ACC games

[PonyPride]

Today marks the 17th appearance as a Mustang and first SMU start for Görener, the transfer from San Jose State, where he hit 54 three-pointers in 2022-23.

[PonyPride]

The lineup change is not a matter of trying to match NC State, as the Wolfpack is starting four guards.

Maybe it's the other way around: go a little bigger, while keeping that perimeter shooter in the lineup

Consider the size of the NC State lineup:
G 3 Dontrez Styles: 6-6
G 8 Jayden Taylor: 6-4
G 10 Marcus Hill: 6-4
G 12 Michael O'Connell: 6-2
C 34 Ben Middlebrooks: 6-10

[PonyPride]

Hill nails the game's first bucket from the corner to put NCSU up 2-0

[PonyPride]

Styles fouled by Yiğitoğlu, hits 2 FTs
4-0, NC State

[PonyPride]

Hill connects again.

Ponies still scoreless after 0-3 shooting start.

6-0

[PonyPride]

Miller gets SMU on the board 3:38 into the game with a mid-range jumper

8-2 NC State

[PonyPride]

Each team missed its first three shots

Since then, Miller hit SMU's only shot, while the Pack is 3/4 since

8-2

[Charleston Pony]

Ugly start for our guys., Really having trouble getting into any offensive flow. NC State pressuring full court has really slowed the pace for us and once again our guys aren't responding well to a team playing good defense

[PonyPride]

Cross 3 cuts margin to 10-5

[PonyPride]

Ugly start for our guys., Really having trouble getting into any offensive flow. NC State pressuring full court has really slowed the pace for us and once again our guys aren't responding well to a team playing good defense

Was thinking the same thing. NC State is a little like Virginia — everything is based on physical defense.

Cross hits 1 of 2 FTs to make it 10-6

[PonyPride]

Chuck Harris knocks down a 3 to cut it to 10-9