NC State Wolfpack vs Florida State Seminoles Match Player Stats On Mar 02, 2019

Sophomore power forward Mfiondu Kabengele scored 16 points and blocked four shots to help No. 18 Florida State earn a 78-73 victory over North Carolina State on Saturday in Atlantic Coast Conference play at Tallahassee, Fla.

Sophomore guard M.J. Walker added 15 points and junior guard Trent Forrest had 13 for Florida State (23-6, 11-5 ACC). Senior guard Terance Mann recorded 11 points as the Seminoles won for the 10th time in the past 11 games.

Sophomore forward DJ Funderburk matched his career highs of 18 points and nine rebounds for N.C. State (20-9, 8-8). Junior guard Markell Johnson scored 14 points and senior guard Torin Dorn added 12 points.

The Wolfpack had a chance for a game-tying 3-pointer but the Seminoles chose to foul and send sophomore guard Braxton Beverly to the line with 8.9 seconds left. Beverly missed the front end of a one-and-one and Kabengele got the rebound and was fouled and hit two free throws with 6.3 seconds remaining to seal it.

The Seminoles, who had nine blocks, shot 48.1 percent from the field and made 3 of 13 from 3-point range.

N.C. State shot 40.7 percent from the field, including 9 of 19 from 3-point range.

The Wolfpack trailed by nine early in the second half but later pulled within 51-50 on two free throws by freshman forward Jericole Hellems with 10:24 left.

But Forrest scored five points and senior guard David Nichols added four during a 9-3 push as the Seminoles took a 60-53 lead with 9:03 remaining.

N.C State answered with a 10-3 run with Johnson and Beverly draining back-to-back 3-pointers to knot the score at 63 with 6:53 left.

Florida State made a minor dash to open up a five-point lead before Johnson buried a 3-pointer to bring the Wolfpack within 72-70 with 3:02 left.

Walker and Kabengele each hit two free throws to give the Seminoles a six-point edge before Johnson knocked down a 3-pointer with 56 seconds left.

Walker scored 11 first-half points as the Seminoles held a 35-30 advantage at the break.

Walker scored seven straight points to give Florida State a 21-13 lead with 8:08 remaining. NC State answered with a 10-2 burst to tie it on two free throws by Funderburk with 4:12 left before the Seminoles controlled the rest of the half.

--Field Level Media