North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State
Delaware State
Wolfpack Swats Hornets 78-44
1/4/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 4, 2012
Photo Gallery - Mark McIntyre 
| Box Score 
| Box Score
RALEIGH, N.C. - NC State dropped Delaware State 78-44 Wednesday at the RBC Center, fueled by a 22-0 run over the final 7:19 of the first half in the Wolfpack's final tuneup before ACC play gets underway.
"I told our players they deserve a lot of credit because they took care of business tonight," said NC State head coach Mark Gottfried. "We were playing against a team that plays a deliberate style that makes it difficult to dictate the tempo. We defended pretty well, we rebounded pretty well, and it was a great night for us to get ready to move into the next part of our schedule."
Scott Wood and C.J. Leslie shared leading scorer honors with 14 a piece, but Richard Howell's 12 point, 12 rebound performance took center stage. Howell notched his fourth-consecutive double-double and fifth game with 10 or more rebounds as the Pack improves to 6-0 this season when the junior records double-digit boards.
Wood's 14 came on 5-of-12 shooting (4-of-11 from beyond the arc), while Leslie went 6-of-12 and snagged eight rebounds.
Delaware State broke an over seven-minute long scoreless streak early in the second half before NC State cruised on an 18-6 run from the 17-minute mark to less than nine minutes remaining. The run culminated with the Pack holding a 64-30 advantage with 9:02 remaining.
State jumped out to an 8-2 lead early behind three-pointers from Wood and Williams, but the Hornets' Casey Walker added a pair of his own to trim the Pack lead to 13-10 by the 11:22 mark.
Delaware State closed the gap to a point twice in the early going at 13-12 and 15-14, but jumpers from Painter and Wood kept the Hornets at bay and the Wolfpack held steady with a 20-16 lead with 7:31 to play in the first half.
Beginning at the 7:19 mark, NC State ran away with the game, embarking on a 22-0 run that would extend to halftime. The end result left Delaware State at a 42-18 disadvantage at the break.
NC State hosts Maryland on Sunday, January 8 at the RBC Center with tip scheduled for 6 p.m. and coverage provided by ESPNU.
