Northwestern University Athletics
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N.C. State
N.C. State Thumps Wildcats, 74-49
12/4/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec 4, 2002
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RALEIGH, N.C. - Marcus Melvin scored a career-high 23 points and North Carolina State's defense forced 21 Northwestern turnovers as the Wolfpack beat the Wildcats 74-49 in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge on Wednesday night at the RBC Center.
Melvin was 7-for-9 from the field and 5-for-5 from the foul line on a near-perfect night. The 6-foot-8 junior forward also tied a career high with four 3-pointers as the Wolfpack improved to 3-0.
Julius Hodge added 17 points as N.C. State shot 51 percent.
An ice storm held the crowd to 3,833 in the 19,722-seat RBC Center, but those who came saw N.C. State play its best game to date.
Northwestern was led by senior center Aaron Jennings, who scored 17 points -- one shy of a career high -- and added a career-best nine rebounds. However, he had little help from his fellow upperclassmen. While freshmen Jimmy Maley (14 points) and T.J. Parker (10) reached double figures, senior Jason Burke and junior Jitim Young went scoreless.
For Young, it marked the first time in 64 games at NU he has not scored a point in a game.
The Wildcats (3-2) averaged 12 turnovers in their first four games, but had that many with 15:24 remaining as their offense bogged down under the Wolfpack's pressure defense.
N.C. State made its first five 3-pointers in the game -- with Melvin hitting three in the opening 4:10 and Scooter Sherrill adding a pair -- and the Wolfpack took an early double-digit lead.
The Wildcats gradually chipped away at the margin and closed to within 24-21, but went cold from the field over the final six minutes of the half. N.C. State took advantage, scoring the last 11 points of the stanza to go into the locker room up 35-21.
The Wolfpack defense was also key in the opening 20 minutes, forcing 11 Northwestern turnovers.
Northwestern committed just seven fouls in the first half, but three came from Maley, who had 15 points in his first college start last week at Kansas State. After hitting both of his 3-pointers out of the gate in this one, Maley had to sit out the final 7:50 of the period.
Northwestern is back in action Saturday, hosting Bowling Green at 1 p.m.
The Associated Press contributed to this story
