How Virginia Tech scored 51 second-half points against NC State's stout defense

NC State trailed Virginia Tech by one at halftime on Saturday afternoon, and with the way it was playing defense, it appeared that the Wolfpack was going to take control in the final 20 minutes. 

But despite the fact the red and white forced a total of 20 turnovers in the contest, the Hokies were able to explode for 51 points in the second half to win 84-78 at PNC Arena. 

How was Virginia Tech able to withstand its most turnovers in an ACC game this season and still come out on top? NC State’s defensive intensity appeared to fall a notch or two in the second half, and it coughed the ball up, too. 

The biggest issue for NC State was its inability to guard Virginia Tech’s drivers, which allowed stars Sean Pedulla and Hunter Catoor to do what they wished in the final half of the game. 

“We did some good things, but I just didn’t think we did a great job defending,” NC State coach Kevin Keatts said. “This particular team hasn’t been one of those groups that gives up straight-line drives, and guys were able to get all the way to the rim on us. That’s just not good enough.”

NC State had limited that duo to a combined 7 points on 2-of-6 shooting with five turnovers in the first half, but Virginia Tech’s playmakers were able to get rolling early in the second half. 

Keatts thought it was a lack of aggression, which NC State had on defense in the first half, but when it was not replicated early in the second frame, Virginia Tech’s guards got comfortable. After that, it was all downhill for the Wolfpack’s defense. 

Pedulla was able to drive and get whatever he wanted in the second half. He finished with 9 points in the period on 4-of-6 shooting. And when NC State went to cut him off in the paint, the Hokies’ point guard was able to pass out of it to find an open shooter. Virginia Tech knocked down six 3-pointers after the intermission.

Virginia Tech made 10 of its last 11 shots in the contest to win it, and its last missed shot came with just over nine minutes to play. Catoor led the Hokies with 19 points, while Pedulla had 13.

“They drove us. We shouldn’t be getting beat off the dribble,” Keatts said. “That’s the disappointment. We haven’t had many games where I could tell you defensively we were not very good, but this second half we were not very good. Our defense has really saved us the entire year.”

Wolfpack junior guard Jayden Taylor, who had Pedulla locked up in the first half and has been NC State’s best on-ball defender this season, did not think the difference in halves came from anything Virginia Tech changed. Instead, he thought it was self-inflicted by the Pack. 

“I don’t really think it’s anything that they did,” Taylor said. “It was just mental breakdowns on us, just messing up assignments. There’s no way that we should be getting blown by like that. We shouldn’t be getting blown by. I feel like it’s just guarding the ball.”

Though the Hokies’ guards found success, NC State’s defense was able to turn them over. But it struggled to capitalize on it in the second half. The Pack scored just 10 points off the Hokies’ errors in the final 20 minutes after it had 15 off turnovers in the first half. 

Why? The Wolfpack often found ways to give the ball right back to the Hokies. 

NC State had 10 second-half gaffes, which allowed Virginia Tech to skate past its own errors. The Pack finished the game with 18 total turnovers, which has started to become a theme as of late. 

After NC State was the best team in the country at taking care of the basketball with just over 12 turnovers a contest, that number has ballooned to 14 a game between its last four outings. 

Taylor said the turnovers have become an issue through not being aggressive on the offensive end. 

“I feel like that’s just us being indecisive and not being the aggressor,” Taylor said. “When we come out, and we’re the aggressor, we don’t turn the ball over a lot at all, honestly. Credit to them, but that’s self-inflicted as well.”

The lack of aggression seemed to be the complete issue for the Wolfpack, which did not have the same energy it did in its come-from-behind win over Wake Forest on Tuesday night. It affected the team’s defensive intensity, and allowed the Hokies to soar to their first true road win of the season, while it led to costly turnovers on the offensive end. 

NC State’s 51 points allowed were the second-most points the Wolfpack has conceded in a half this season. It gave up 57 in the second half of the 95-86 loss to BYU in the Vegas Showdown on Nov. 24. 

Though it happened for the second time this season, Keatts did not think it was characteristic of his team’s ability to play defense. He said nothing will change schematically on that end as the team moves deeper into ACC play.

“This is not a team that’s built, and the way we play, to give up 51 points in a half,” Keatts said. “It’s just not who we are.”

NC State has a chance to right the ship at Virginia on Wednesday night, which it beat 76-60 on Jan. 6 at PNC Arena.