Dontrez Styles proved he belongs to himself, NC State after 21-point effort in OT win over Florida State

With NC State up 2 points and 12 seconds left in the Wolfpack’s ACC opener against Florida State, senior wing Dontrez Styles committed an off-ball foul on the in-bound pass of what appeared to be the Seminoles’ last possession. That put Jamir Watkins, who was automatic from the free throw line, in position to tie the game. 

He did just that — and Styles missed the would-be game-winning layup at the buzzer — to send the game to overtime. The Georgetown transfer believed he cost the Pack a chance to start league play on the right note as he feared overtime would breathe life into the Seminoles. 

“Damn,” Styles thought to himself with his stomach in knots. 

But instead of hanging his head — either from the foul or the missed shot at the buzzer — Styles seemed to have a unique sense of energy in the overtime period. He felt like he needed to make up for the error that extended the game five more minutes and gave Florida State a chance to complete the comeback win.

Well, he did just that.

Styles didn’t take long to do so, either. He scored 5 quick points on a 3-pointer followed by a steal and a layup midway through the extra time, which gave the Pack a lead it didn’t relinquish the rest of the way. 

NC State squeaked past Florida State 84-74 in overtime Saturday afternoon at Lenovo Center to snap a three-game skid. And Styles was a key piece to the puzzle. 

The Kinston, N.C., native poured in a season-best 21 points on an efficient 7-of-13 shooting with a trio of made 3-pointers in 29 minutes. Styles’ performance against the Seminoles followed a 17-point explosion with three triples in a 4-point loss to Texas in the ACC-SEC Challenge on Wednesday night, creating a pattern that nearly everyone clad in red and white likely loves to see. 

Why? Styles had the complete opposite in NC State’s first two tests of the season as it went winless during the Rady Children’s Invitational in San Diego just eight days ago. He was a combined 3-for-12 from the field, including 0-for-7 from deep, in the losses to then-No. 13 Purdue and BYU. 

That showing led to Wolfpack coach Kevin Keatts joking about his wing following Styles’ highest scoring output since he had 22 against Jackson State on Nov. 25, 2023 with Georgetown. 

“I didn’t even know we took him to San Diego,” Keatts quipped. “Did he go to San Diego?”

Yes, he was there. And he wanted to put that poor shooting performance behind him in a hurry. 

Returning home to cap this grueling four-game stretch seemed to be a difference maker for the physical, big-bodied wing. After all, he is now just nine games into his tenure playing in Keatts’ system. 

“Just getting comfortable, just getting confident — just being who I am,” Styles said after he propelled NC State past Florida State. “I’ve been here before, I’m an older guy. I just have to lead my guys and we’re a better team than we’ve shown the past couple games. I just wanted to come out here tonight and do my best to help the team win, no matter what it takes.”

Styles, who started his career at North Carolina, really wasn’t worried about scoring against Florida State. He had just 2 points in the first half, but the number that bugged him was that he didn’t have a rebound by the time the team returned to the locker room. At 6-foot-6, NC State relies on Styles to rebound from the wing, and he made it his mission to do just that. 

And in the second half, he crashed the glass with authority. Styles hauled in five rebounds in the period, including a pivotal offensive board that kept Florida State from pushing its lead by more than 2 with less than a minute to play in regulation. He followed up that rebound with a 3-pointer that gave NC State a 1-point lead with 46 seconds to go.

Eventually, the Pack and Seminoles went to overtime and Styles was able to help deliver the knockout blow with his 5 straight points over a 21-second stretch. And his season-high points total set a new career best against ACC competition, which surpassed his 10 points against Notre Dame last season.

“He’s a phenomenal player,” graduate guard Michael O’Connell said of Styles. “I think he’s one of our best players, one of our best scorers. He’s just an effective player. I’ve seen him do it every day in practice. … I’m just super happy to see him do well.”

The latest chapter in Styles’ season proved to himself that he belonged. His two-game stretch more than 2,500 miles away from NC State was out of character. He was able to not only move past it with two season-best scoring performances, but his ability to impact the game with timely shot-making in key moments is what he lived for as a child that grew up in ACC country.

Now, it’s a reality.

“Hitting big shots like that, that’s why I work the way I do in the gym,” Styles said. “Just seeing my work pay off on the highest level, it’s a blessing. It’s a dream come true.”