South Raleigh News

The NC State men's basketball team faced a challenging game against 10th-ranked Kansas, resulting in a 75-60 defeat at Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks maintained control throughout the match, despite several comeback attempts by NC State.

Ben Middlebrooks was the leading scorer for NC State with 14 points and eight rebounds. Brandon Huntley-Hatfield contributed 12 points, while Marcus Hill added 10 points to the team's efforts.

NC State initially struggled, falling behind with a score of 19-3 but managed to reduce the deficit to seven points at 48-41 after a lay-up by Middlebrooks with just over 14 minutes remaining. However, Kansas quickly responded with a three-pointer following an unsuccessful jumper from Middlebrooks, extending their lead once more.

The game began with Kansas taking an early advantage, scoring the first 15 points as NC State missed its initial seven shots. Dontrez Styles finally put NC State on the scoreboard with a three-pointer nearly six minutes into the first half.

Despite recovering from their slow start and narrowing the gap to seven points midway through the first half, NC State could not close in further before halftime. The teams went into the break with Kansas leading 38-30.

Hunter Dickinson played a significant role for Kansas, finishing just shy of a triple-double with 21 points, 14 rebounds, and seven assists. Zeke Mayo led all scorers with 26 points for the Jayhawks.

NC State entered this game ranked fourth in NCAA fast break points but was limited to only three against Kansas.

Looking ahead, NC State will face Rider on Sunday as they conclude their non-conference schedule. The game is set for a 4 p.m. tipoff and will be broadcast on the ACC Network.