J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center | NC State Wolfpack
J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center | NC State Wolfpack
The NC State men's basketball team faced its first defeat of the season against Purdue, with a final score of 71-61 in the opening round of the Rady Children's Invitational held in San Diego, California. The game saw NC State trailing by just one point at halftime but failing to close the gap in the second half.
Purdue managed a decisive 15-4 run early in the second half, securing a 50-38 lead with 12:33 remaining. NC State was unable to narrow the deficit to less than eight points for the rest of the game.
Jayden Taylor led NC State with 15 points, while Brandon Huntley-Hatfield contributed 13 points and secured a team-high eight rebounds. These were the only players from NC State scoring in double figures. Ben Middlebrooks and Trey Parker added nine and seven points respectively from the bench.
Trey Kaufman-Renn stood out for Purdue, leading all scorers with 22 points. Notably, NC State entered the game as national leaders in fast break points but was limited to just eight against Purdue.
The turnover battle also favored Purdue, which committed only six turnovers compared to NC State's success in forcing previous opponents into more than 15 turnovers each.
NC State initially took a 7-2 lead but experienced a scoring drought that allowed Purdue to go on a 14-0 run. This put Purdue ahead at 18-9 following Caleb Furst's lay-up. Despite efforts from NC State, including tying the game at 29 late in the first half, Purdue maintained a slight edge with a halftime lead of 33-32 after Brandon Huntley-Hatfield's three-pointer.
NC State will next play against either Ole Miss or BYU, depending on their match outcome. The game is scheduled for tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcasted on FOX.
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