PARADISE ISLAND, THE BAHAMAS (November 22, 2017) – In a game where much of the attention was on towering 7-foot Arizona freshman and Nassau native Deandre Ayton, it was the North Carolina State Wolfpack that came up big.
Allerick Freeman scored 24 points and Braxton Beverly added 20 to help lead NC State to a surprising 90-84 victory over No. 2-ranked Arizona on Wednesday in the opening round of Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis. The Wolfpack (5-0) broke open a close contest with a late 13-1 run, turning a 75-73 deficit into an 86-76 lead with 1:48 to play.
“Our guys did a tremendous job,” first-year NC State coach Kevin Keatts said. “We did a good job of getting into our presses, staying in our presses. We did a great job moving the ball around. I’m happy for our guys. … Certainly this is a program win.”
The game was a homecoming for Ayton, the first player from The Bahamas to be named a McDonald’s All-American. Ayton certainly did his part for the Wildcats (3-1), scoring 27 points and grabbing 14 rebounds.
But while Ayton might have been returning home, the Wolfpack refused to act as a welcome mat. Instead, they picked up the tempo and got Arizona to play at a fast pace.
“I thought we matched their intensity and did a great job forcing the tempo,” Keatts said.
As a result, instead of the Wildcats working the ball inside more often – where they made 27-of-45 shots (60 percent) – they appeared to rush a number of 3-point attempts, making only 2-of-17 (11.8 percent).
Still, Arizona coach Sean Miller was more concerned with his team’s defense, which allowed the Wolfpack to shoot 49 percent for the game, 52 percent in the second half.
“We had plenty of offense, but our defense was really, really bad,” Miller said. “You can’t win in a tournament like this giving up 90 points and letting them be as efficient as they were.”
The game also marked a return of sorts for Freeman, who played in last year’s Battle 4 Atlantis for tournament champion Baylor. Freeman came to NC State as a graduate transfer and now has the rare opportunity to claim consecutive Battle 4 Atlantis titles.
“Being here last year and having a chance to win it was a good experience,” said Freeman, who has scored in double digits in each of the Wolfpack’s five games. “Since I had an opportunity to come back with these guys, I wanted to share it, especially in a big game that’s going to be a 40-minute dogfight.”