Expand / Collapse search
Watch TV
Menu

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2024 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper.

Sports

Leslie leads NC State past Penguins, 67-50

Associated Press
Published | Updated

RALEIGH, N.C. – Freshman C.J. Leslie had 14 points and a season-high 19 rebounds, and North Carolina State pulled away late to beat Youngstown State 67-50 on Thursday night.

Fellow freshman Ryan Harrow added 14 points and Javi Gonzalez scored 11 for the Wolfpack (6-3). They trailed by 18 with 3½ minutes left in the first half but outscored the Penguins 46-16 in the second half in winning their second straight game.

Vytas Sulskis had 14 points and 10 rebounds before fouling out with 1:04 left for Youngstown State. The Penguins (5-5) scored just five points in the final 9 minutes and fell to 0-4 all-time against Atlantic Coast Conference opponents.

Leslie single-handedly keyed the run late in the first half, scoring nine consecutive points to help get the Wolfpack back in the game.

N.C. State then opened the second half with a 20-6 run and held the Penguins to one field goal in the first 8 minutes of the half. Harrow's free throw with 10:06 left gave the Wolfpack their first lead, 40-39.

Dan Boudler's layup put Youngstown State up 45-42 with 9:08 remaining, but the Penguins managed just two field goals the rest of the way.

Meanwhile, N.C. State pulled away with a late 25-5 run. Gonzalez' free throw with 2:58 left put the Wolfpack up by double figures for the first time, 57-47.

Playing at the RBC Center for the first time in three weeks, N.C. State had hoped to have a much easier time against a Horizon League opponent that is winless in road games — especially leading into its marquee nonconference home game, a visit from Arizona on Sunday.

But the Wolfpack made enough plays down the stretch to improve to 31-5 under Sidney Lowe against non-ACC teams at home.

They once again were without all-ACC forward Tracy Smith, who missed his seventh straight game while recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery. Scott Wood, one of the league's top 3-point threats, was scoreless until he hit a 3 with 3½ minutes left and finished with three points on 1-of-7 shooting.

Youngstown State led by double figures for virtually the entire first half, opening the game on a 20-3 run while holding the Wolfpack to one field goal during the first 9½ minutes.

The Penguins pushed their lead to 31-13 on DuShawn Brooks' 3-pointer with 3½ minutes to go until halftime, before the Wolfpack used an 8-0 run — all by Leslie — to pull to 31-21 in the final minute of the half. Allen's 3 with 1 second left made it 34-21 at the break.