Noles pull away from Pack

RALEIGH — N.C. State might have finally found its point guard, but even solving its biggest problem couldn't bring the Wolfpack a win.

Solomon Alabi, Florida State's 7-foot-1 center, banged home two baskets in the post to spark the Seminoles as they scored 19 of the final 21 points to win 78-65 Tuesday night at the RBC Center in N.C. State's ACC home opener.

Freshman point guard Julius Mays scored nine of  his team-high 13 points in a period of 3 minutes, 46 seconds to stake N.C. State to a 63-59 lead with 6:11 remaining. But Florida State tightened its defense and forced the Wolfpack (9-5, 0-2 ACC) to settle for jump shots for the rest of the game.

N.C. State's three leading scorers, Ben McCauley, Brandon Costner and Courtney Fells, totaled two points over the final 15 minutes.

As usual, turnovers were a huge problem for the Wolfpack, which committed 16 of them. N.C. State entered the game with 19, 18, 18 and 18 turnovers in its four losses. During one stretch of two and a half minutes in the first half, the Wolfpack committed four turnovers to energize a Florida State team that started slowly.

In the second half, third-team point guard Javi Gonzalez committed three turnovers in three possessions, and then committed a bailout foul against off-balance Florida State guard Toney Douglas.

Mays replaced Gonzalez and threw a pass that was intercepted on his second possession. But with starting point guard Farnold Degand on the bench, Mays gave the Wolfpack a spark after N.C. State trailed 53-50 with 10 minutes remaining.

Mays made two free throws, a runner in the lane and a pull-up jump shot from the right elbow while being fouled. Redshirt freshman Johnny Thomas contributed a rebound basket and a 16-foot jumper during the rally, and N.C. State led 61-57 after Mays completed the 3-point play.

In the first half, twelve minutes of almost utter futility on offense turned an eight-point N.C. State lead into a 12-point deficit before the Wolfpack rallied to trail Florida State 35-32 at halftime.

After leading 12-4 five minutes into the game, N.C. State scored just four points in the next 12 minutes as Douglas (21 points) took control for Florida State (14-3, 1-2), which built a 28-16 advantage.

Scattered boos rang through the RBC Center after a Derwin Kitchen basket with 4:14 remaining in the half as coach Sidney Lowe called timeout to regroup the Wolfpack. Lowe found an answer for N.C. State's lethargy in a pair of reserves.

Reserve forward Dennis Horner went 6-for-6 from the free throw line over the last 3:28 of the half. Freshman guard C.J. Williams converted passes from McCauley and Fells respectively into a 3-pointer and a fast-break layup, and Florida State led just 35-32 at halftime.