Pack runs away from Pfeiffer in exhibition rout

RALEIGH — There will be a give-and-take with N.C. State's freshmen trio this season.

That much was clear in the Wolfpack's 111-73 win over Pfeiffer on Tuesday, its final warm-up before the season starts on Friday.

There was plenty of giving by Lorenzo Brown, Ryan Harrow and C.J. Leslie in a 3-minute span in the first half of Tuesday's rout, the first time State has broken the 100-point barrier — exhibition game or otherwise — under coach Sidney Lowe.

Brown (17 points), the only freshman to start, flushed an alley-oop dunk from Scott Wood in transition to start a 13-0 run.

Harrow found Brown in transition, which was followed up by C.J. Leslie's first points on a fast-break.

Harrow added a shimmy-and-shake drive and Leslie showed off a shooting range usually reserved for much shorter players.

But there was also a sequence where the trio exchanged two sloppy passes — in the process of trying to do too much — and turned the ball over leading to a Pfeiffer 3-pointer.

That's the learning curve coach Sidney Lowe has warned the fan base about so many times since the top-five class was completed by Leslie's much-publicized commitment in May.

The good news for State is the veteran foundation from last season's 20-win, NIT team is back and will be a stabilizing force while the freshmen both scintillate and learn on the job.

Senior forward Tracy Smith assumed his role as No. 1 option with 17 points while sophomore forward Richard Howell backed up his coach's preseason praise with a team-best 10rebounds.

Wood (14 points) and Gonzalez (five assists) showed a comfort in Lowe's new up-tempo style but the crowd at Reynolds Coliseum was intrigued by the new guys.

Brown, who started at the off guard with Gonzalez at the point, showed the versatility that Lowe has raved about this offseason. He finished with six rebounds and six assists in addition to his 17 points.

Harrow and Leslie came off the bench together at 15:54 mark in the first, with Harrow subbing for Gonzalez at the point and Leslie spelling Howell at power forward.

Harrow led the team with eight assists and scored 17 points.

Leslie also finished with 17 points and seven rebounds.

Brown's feed to Leslie for a dunk at 2:33 in the second half got a post-dunk scream from Leslie and a standing ovation from the crowd.

State cracked triple digits for the first time under Lowe, who's beginning his fifth season, with a pair of free throws by Gonzalez at the 4:43 mark in the second half.

The Pack had scored 94 points in exhibition games in 2007-08 and 2008-09 but never 100 points.

Photo: N.C. State's Lorenzo Brown (2) steals the ball from Pfeiffer's Reggie Hollinger (13) during the first half of the Wolfpack's exhibition game on Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2010, at Reynolds Coliseum. ETHAN HYMAN - ehyman@newsobserver.com