NC State basketball quick hits from 104-100 4OT win over Nebraska

Quick hits and notes from NC State basketball 104-100 four-overtime home win over Nebraska in front of a crowd of 11,562 fans at PNC Arena in Raleigh on Wednesday evening.

Play Of The Game

After 60 minutes of basketball that featured 13 lead changes and 14 ties, it’s a challenge to single out one, but sophomore center Ebenezer Dowuona made a huge play at the end of third overtime to preserve the Pack’s chances for a fourth OT.

After freshman guard Terquavion Smith missed a running shot with his left hand, Dowuona got into position for the offensive rebound and a short putback shot to tie the game at 92-92 with 10.7 seconds remaining.

Nebraska though nearly had a runout on the other end. Talented freshman guard Bryce McGowens pushed ahead, but he did not catch Dowuona sleeping. Dowuona hustled downcourt to contest McGowens shot, forcing a difficult attempt at the basket that missed.

Dowuona played strong defense throughout the night, finishing with eight blocks. That tied for the fourth most rejections in a single game in school history.

It nearly led to a game-winner for NC State. Freshman guard Breon Pass ended up with a good look from the top of the key, but his shot rimmed out as time expired in the third extra session.

Highlight Of The Game

Player Of The Game

This is an easy call.

Redshirt sophomore wing Dereon Seabron put on a historic performance. His 39 points was a record for the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, which has been around since 1999. He was three points off T.J. Warren’s school-record for points by a Wolfpack player in a single contest at PNC Arena.

Seabron also added 19 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season.

Both his scoring and rebounding easily represented new career-highs for Seabron, who played 57 out of a possible 60 minutes. The only time he left the court was when he banged knees with a Nebraska defender and required brief medical attention.

Otherwise it’s possible that Seabron would have contested if not broken Chucky Brown’s school-record for minutes in a single game (59).

Seabron made 11 of 22 shots from the field and 17 of 20 free throws, the latter tying for the third most in a contest at NC State basketball. He had 29 of the Pack’s final 57 points Wednesday night.

A NC State Basketball Marathon

Those settling into PNC Arena were not expecting to get home at a late hour, but that they did. The game last three hours and 23 minutes, longer than five, or almost half, of NC State’s 12 football games during the regular season.

NC State basketball has only played in two prior four overtime games, losing to Canisius in the 1956 NCAA Tournament and winning the 1989 regular season finale at Wake Forest.

Another overtime would have been the first five OT contest ever played by an ACC team.

A Battle Of Attrition

This game saw both teams take blows in its rotation.

For NC State basketball, sophomore guard Cam Hayes was among several players ejected in the second half for a brief skirmish that occurred as both teams were going to their benches following a Nebraska timeout to try to stem a 14-0 Wolfpack run that tied the game at 61-61 with 6:09 left.

Nebraska junior forward Lat Maven appeared to be the primary instigator and was also ejected, as were three players who came off the Nebraska bench.

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Near the end of regulation, NC State junior guard Casey Morsell sprained his ankle and would not return. Morsell will receive X-rays Thursday, head coach Kevin Keatts noted.

Senior forward Jericole Hellems fouled out in the third overtime, marking the fourth time in five games he has been disqualified (and in the other he finished with four fouls).

Nebraska would have three players foul out before the game was over.

A Win At The Line

In The Wolfpacker’s scouting report on Nebraska, it was noted that the Cornhuskers had made more free throws than their opponents have attempted this season.

NC State reversed that in a major way.

Seabron made more free throws himself than Nebraska took as a team. The Cornhuskers were 11 of 15, while NC State went 32 of 42 from the stripe.

NC State Basketball Plus/Minus

Here is the plus/minus for each player (the difference between points scored while they were on the floor) for NC State basketball:

Smith: +10 (44:36 minutes played)

Dowuona: +9 (45:43)

Pass: +8 (23:36)

Freshman forward Ernest Ross: +3 (9:29)

Morsell: +8 (31:20)

Fifth-year senior guard Thomas Allen: +8 (7:59)

Hayes: -2 (25:14)

Seabron: -6 (57:20)

Sophomore forward Jaylon Gibson: -8 (4:48)

Hellems: -10 (49:55)

NC State Basketball Game Scores

Using Hollinger’s measure of productivity, players are graded 1-40 with 10 being average for an NBA player.

Seabron: 30.4

Dowuona: 12.5

Morsell: 11.1

Allen: 7.0

Hellems: 5.4

Hayes: 5.1

Smith: 2.1

Pass: 1.9

Ross: 1.6

Gibson: -2.4

What This NC State Basketball Win Means

The Pack is 6-1 on the season while Nebraska fell to 5-3.

It was the first-ever meeting between the two teams, as the Cornhuskers were the last Big Ten squad that the Wolfpack had not faced.

NC State basketball is 9-12 all-time in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, and it extended its consecutive home winning streak against non-conference opponents to 28 straight.

This is just the second time in the history of the Challenge that the Wolfpack has won two straight. It defeated Wisconsin in 2019, and last year’s contest at Michigan was canceled due to a COVID-19 outbreak at NC State.

The game was broadcast by ESPNU. Throughout the year, we’ll keep track of the Pack’s record on the different channels:

• ACC Network Extra: 3-0

• ESPNU: 1-0

• FloSports: 1-0

• RSN: 1-0

• CBS Sports Network: 0-1

We also track NC State’s records by month:

• November: 5-1

• December: 1-0

Other stats of note

Nebraska won the turnover margin 20-18, but NC State had a 22-15 advantage in points off miscues.
The Cornhuskers had a 52-46 edge in points in the paint.
NC State had a slight advantage in fast break points, 26-24.
The Wolfpack had a 66-51 win on the boards overall and were 24-17 on the offensive glass. That led to an 19-7 advantage for NC State on second-chance points.
Defensively, NC State had 11 blocks, five shots altered and nine steals. Nebraska rejected five shots, altered 11 and had 10 steals.
The Cornhuskers’ bench outscored NC State’s reserves, 31-19.
NC State led by as much as nine points and for 20:04. Nebraska had the edge for 30:23 and by as much as 14.