NC State didn’t play ‘as a team’ for 40 minutes, leading to blown 14-point lead at Virginia 

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — NC State graduate guard Michael O’Connell and senior guard Jayden Taylor sat in the bowels of Virginia’s John Paul Jones arena searching for answers as to what went wrong just moments before. 

The two, still dressed in their red away uniforms, were visibly frustrated following the Wolfpack’s 70-67 loss to the Cavaliers on Tuesday afternoon — a game NC State led by as many as 14 points in the second half. 

As they spoke throughout the postgame press conference, O’Connell and Taylor seemed to come to an agreement as to how NC State squandered its largest lead against a high-major team this season — those clad in the Pack’s away uniforms stopped playing as a team in the waning 18 minutes. 

And, in turn, that cost the Wolfpack its second straight 2-0 start in ACC play. 

“I just think, from a defensive standpoint, we kind of dropped intensity,” O’Connell said. “I think in the first half, we did a good job at limiting them from really good looks and good shots. In the second half, we weren’t as precise in our switches.”

“It was miscommunication on our end,” Taylor interjected. 

Virginia was able to utilize a 17-3 run to tie the game midway through the second half before an 11-1 spurt gave the Cavaliers breathing room to thwart an NC State comeback bid in the final minute. 

O’Connell, who sent the previous two meetings to overtime with a tip-in and a buzzer-beating 3-pointer, had his half court heave miss the mark as time expired. 

For much of this season, NC State coach Kevin Keatts has consistently talked about the winning strategy for his squad: the team needs three to five players to play well for an entire 40 minute game. Unfortunately for the Wolfpack, it only sustained that for 20 minutes against the Cavaliers. 

NC State’s offense cruised in the first half with 11 assists on 13 made baskets. The ball whipped around the floor with the zip of an infielder throwing to first base. And as the Wolfpack intentionally found the open players on the court for easy shots, they were also moving about the court with what seemed to be a purpose. 

That’s the winning recipe against Virginia, which has a defense known to penalize teams that don’t constantly move. NC State found that out in the second half as its 61.9% shooting clip from the first half dropped to a 33.3% mark in the final 20 minutes. 

The Wolfpack didn’t move off the ball with the same urgency it did in the opening half, which led to poor ball movement. That forced NC State into tough shots, and it did not pay off in the long run. The Pack turned in just three assists across the final 20 minutes, even though it made 11 shots in the period. 

“That’s just not a good formula to win,” Keatts said postgame. “I’ve talked to these guys, and we’ve preached on it, this group needs each other to play well together to be able to win.”

So how did NC State go from what seemed to be clicking on all cylinders with its best half of basketball of the season to falling apart at Virginia? Keatts believed the team, with eight new faces on the roster, still had to learn how to play with a lead. 

The eighth-year coach thought the team “relaxed” once it went up big, which led to bad shots and turnovers to mar the second half. 

“I think it was a mentality,” Keatts said as to why the ball stuck on the perimeter in the second half. “This is a new group. … We’re playing well together and you look out there and some of your better guys aren’t scoring the basketball. Now, it’s like, ‘Hey, I’ve got a 12-14 point lead, let me go score.’ That’s the wrong formula against this team, this program in this building.”

Virginia made NC State pay in the second half with seven made 3-pointers, while the Wolfpack was just 2-for-12 from distance over the same stretch. NC State had five second-half turnovers, while Virginia had one in its comeback effort. 

The Pack, which can’t lean on one player, needs its entire roster to be in unison to win in the ACC— especially on the road. 

“In the second half, we kind of got in our own world,” said Taylor, who led the team with 14 points (11 in the first half). “We got to taking tougher shots. Tougher shots are hard to make.”

What will it take for NC State to clean up its play and work in harmony as an entire group? Both O’Connell and Taylor know the Wolfpack is capable of doing it (see the first half), but it’s all about a desire to do so. 

“I feel like you gotta want to do it,” Taylor said. “It’s not rocket science to pass the ball when somebody’s open. It’s just making the game simple. … You just have to be a willing playmaker.”

“When we play as a team, we’re a much better team,” Taylor added. “When we don’t, we lose.”

NC State learned the hard way at Virginia. Now, it has less than a week to fix its mistakes before the Wolfpack makes the drive to play in-state foe Wake Forest on Saturday afternoon.