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Notebook: Miami pounded the paint in win over NC State

Jacey Zembalby: Jacey Zembal6 hours agoJaceyZembal

NC State and Miami (Fla.) played two different and distinct styles in what was a back-and-forth battle from start to finish.

NC State has lived and died with three-point shooting and went 9 of 24 from beyond the arc, and had the hot shooting of sophomore wing Paul McNeil in the second half. Miami dominated in two major areas Saturday — points in the paint and rebounding, especially the offensive boards. The Wolfpack have struggled with rebounding at times this season, so it wasn’t a surprise what the Hurricanes were accomplishing.

Miami was on the ropes only to rip off a 8-0 run capped by three free throws by junior wing Tru Washington, who was fouled by NCSU senior power forward Darrion Williams with 3.7 seconds remaining. NC State lost 77-76 in front of 18,410 fans at the Lenovo Center in coming back from the Louisville blowout. Washington, a New Mexico transfer who has a career 67-percent free-throw percentage, returned to the team this week after missing three games and had 13 points.

NC State fell to 18-8 overall and 9-4 in the ACC, and Miami improved to 20-5 and 9-3 in the league.

“I was disappointed in our effort today,” NCSU coach Will Wade said. “After what happened on Monday [at Louisville], to play like that, I could see it coming. I’m disappointed.”

NC State likes to switch on defense and Miami wanted to expose it with 6-9 senior power forward Malik Reneau and 6-6 freshman small forward Shelton Henderson. The two combined for 27 of the Hurricanes 37 points in the first half, and set the tone on how coach Jai Lucas wanted to attack the Wolfpack’s defense.

Miami finished with a 56-32 advantage in the paint, and out-rebounded the Wolfpack 40-29 overall and 20-8 on the offensive boards. It proved to be the winning recipe, though luck was involved.

“We gave up 20 offensive rebounds, so I don’t think we responded to much of anything,” Wade said.“That’s just who we are — we’re soft. We are a jump shooting team. That is who we are as a group. I’m not saying we have soft players, but we are a jump shooting team.

“Miami has an identity. They are going to bludgeon you in the paint. They are going to be physical. We have no identity and that is an indict on this guy right here [himself], outside of making jump shots. That is a bad way to have to play.”

Reneau went 8 of 12 in the first half for 16 points, and finished with 26 points and six boards. Henderson went 8 of 13 for the game and had 17 points and nine rebounds.

“Reneau is what it is supposed to look like now,” Wade said. “That is what they are supposed to look like, what Reneau did.”

Lucas said he was confident about Washington making at least two of the three free throws, and he trusted to play him at the end, despite just rejoining the squad. He called the Lenovo Center as one of the hardest places to play at.

“We always base our game off of three things — points in the paint, offensive rebounding and winning the free-throw battle,” said Lucas, whose team won all three areas.

Matt Able faces team he had signed with

NC State freshman shooting guard Matt Able came off the bench to finish with a season-high 17 points and three three-pointers in 22 minutes. Both Wade and Lucas wanted Able last spring, who had originally signed with the Hurricanes. After coach Jim Larranaga retired Dec. 26, 2024, during last season and the Hurricanes season went south, it led to Lucas getting hired.

Able was close to Miami assistant coach turned interim coach Bill Courtney, who finished out the season in Coral Gables, Fla. The coaching community has mourned the loss of Courtney, who passed away at age 55 on Jan. 13. He was coaching at Temple this season.

“I was committed to Miami and it’s a great school,” Able said. “I am really focused on NC State, and focused on the matchup at hand. There wasn’t anything to me. I was treating it as if it was another game we have to prepare for. They are a great team, but I don’t think anything was out of the ordinary.

“Coach Courtney was a great person and I am very grateful for him and what he did for me.”

Able has scored in double figures in 10 games this season, and he showed off the full range of his skills, from driving toward the basket for layups or floaters or draining shots along the perimeter. 

The On3.com four-star prospect from Weston (Fla.) Sagemont Prep, who was ranked No. 19 overall in the class of 2025, was Wade’s first big recruiting win at NC State after getting hired.

“I thought Matt was really good,” Wade said. “He had a great first half and made some big plays in the second half as well. He’s coming along and did a good job. I’m really proud of him and he does play with some toughness. He does play with an edge. He has some good stuff to him.”

NC State clung to a 42-37 halftime lead despite the Hurricanes owning the paint, in large part due to Able getting 15 of his 17 points in the first half.

“He’s big-time,” Lucas said. “When I got there he was committed, but didn’t really have a prior relationship with him. I tried to recruit him and he came on visits and I spent time with him. He just decided to go somewhere else. I knew he was a stud.”

UNC game is next

NC State has been waiting for North Carolina all season, and now it’s on the horizon Tuesday at the Lenovo Center. 

However, the Tar Heels won’t have freshman power forward Caleb Wilson, who fractured his hand against Miami this past week.

UNC also played Saturday against Pittsburgh without 7-foot Arizona center transfer Henri Veesaar, but the Tar Heels won 79-65 behind a combined 34 points and 10 rebound from junior Jarin Stevenson and redshirt sophomore Zayden High. Veesaar is expected back Tuesday.

Stevenson is a former NCSU recruiting target from Pittsboro (N.C.) Seaforth High, who graduated early and attended Alabama for two years, before picking the Tar Heels last spring.

Wade knows the taller Tar Heels, even without Wilson, will try to copy what Miami did in the paint against Williams and former UNC center Ven-Allen Lubin and company.

“We gave up 26 offensive rebounds against Pittsburgh, we gave up 20 offensive rebounds today and Tuesday, they’ll be able to pick how many offensive rebounds they’ll get,” Wade said. “That is a tough way to play.”

Wade was perplexed on how his team has lost three ACC games at the Lenovo Center. The Wolfpack host UNC, Duke and Stanford to close out the home schedule.

“It’s embarrassing,” Wade said. “I can’t remember the last time one of our teams lost three conference games at home.”

Plus/minus

Ven-Allen Lubin — 7
Tre Holloman — 5
Matt Able — 4
Darrion Williams — 2
Quadir Copeland — 1
Terrance Arceneaux — minus-3
Paul McNeil — minus-10
Musa Sagnia — minus-15

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