Greensboro, NC (Sports Network) - Richard Howell donated a double-double with
22 points and 12 rebounds, as North Carolina State cruised past Virginia Tech,
80-63, on Thursday in the first round of the Atlantic Coast Conference
Tournament at Greensboro Coliseum.
C.J. Leslie followed with 15 points, while Scott Wood and T.J. Warren tallied
13 points apiece for the fifth-seeded Wolfpack (23-9), who will take on
fourth-seeded Virginia in a quarterfinal matchup on Friday.
ACC Player of the Year Erick Green managed just 15 points on 5-of-19 shooting
in his final collegiate game, while Jarell Eddie paced the Hokies (13-19) with
21 points in the setback, Virginia Tech's third in a row.
The teams exchanged buckets for much of the first half until a Warren jumper
sparked a 10-2 NC State run to give the Wolfpack a 34-27 lead with 3:21 left.
NC State carried a 38-32 cushion into the break and with the margin back at
six, 48-42, just over five minutes into the second, Warren buried a 3-pointer
to send the Wolfpack on an 11-0 sprint to make it 59-42 with 12 minutes to
play.
The Hokies never recovered, as NC State led by double digits the rest of the
way.
GAME NOTES:
The Sports Network