The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/947448
56 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY MATT CARTER AND JACEY ZEMBAL O ne stat that reflects the difference be- tween last season's team and this one: NC State had four ACC road wins through 16 games, matching the total for overall conference victories a season ago. NC State had a difficult two-game los- ing streak, falling 85-75 at Virginia Tech Feb. 7 and dropping a spirited 96-89 con- test to rival UNC Feb. 10. Needing to bounce back, NCSU re- sponded with a 74-70 win at Syracuse Feb. 14 and a 90-84 victory at Wake Forest Feb. 17. Thus for the fourth time in ACC play, head coach Kevin Keatts treated his squad to some postgame ice cream. "We never decide where we are going to eat ice cream before the game because I think it's bad luck," Keatts explained. Fifth-year senior guard Allerik Freeman said there is no magic formula for being successful away from home. "We are just hooping," he stated. "We are just playing. There's not really much to it. "Just go out there and defend and shoot and the ball goes in. … The game is pretty simple." NC State players were appreciative that some of the 13,641 in attendance at Wake Forest were wearing Wolfpack colors. "Beating these teams at their home is hard," sophomore center Omer Yurtseven said. "They have the crowd on their side. I felt like there were more State fans. I would say 50-50. … Winning on the road is always important because it builds your team's confidence." Sam Hunt On Fire From Deep Fifth-year senior shooting guard Sam Hunt might not have a set amount of min- utes he plays off the bench, but he is always ready when called upon. Hunt has earned the respect of the NC State coaches and his teammates, and he rewarded them with unbelievable three- point shooting during a four-game stretch from Feb. 14-25. The former Jacksonville and North Caro- lina A&T player went 14 of 17 (82.4 per- cent) on three-pointers during that stretch. He hit eight straight three-pointers in wins over Boston College Feb. 20 and Florida State Feb. 25. The lefty from Greensboro, N.C., cracked double figures seven times during the Wolfpack's first 29 games. "Sam is shooting at a big rim," head coach Kevin Keatts said. Hunt knows what people might be think- ing when he gets an open look. "No, it's not a layup, it's just the prepa- ration and time that I've put in with my coaching staff and teammates each day," said Hunt, who had his name chanted by the fans at PNC Arena during the 92-72 win over FSU. "It is making it look kind of easy right now." Keatts joked that it wasn't Hunt's shooting that caught his attention, but what he did on the defensive end on one possession. "I became a better coach tonight, not be- cause we scored 92 points, and not because WOLFPACK BASKETBALL NC State Has Learned To Win On Road During a four-game stretch from Feb. 14-25, fifth-year senior shooting guard Sam Hunt made a sizzling 82.4 percent (14 of 17) of his three-point attempts. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE MEDIA RELATIONS