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That’s Slow Business

There’s slow and there’s this kind of slow

By Barry Jacobs

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NCAA Basketball: Georgia at Georgia Tech
Dec 20, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs guard Juwan Parker (3) and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets guard Josh Okogie (5) fights for a rebound in a particularly low scoring half this season.
Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

All sorts of “ice,” “cold” and “frozen” jokes came to mind to describe NC State’s performance in a snow-delayed visit to Chapel Hill. Sticking to more straightforward language, the Wolfpack, behind the trend-setting play of erstwhile Super Freshman Dennis Smith, stank it up in a 107-56 rout.

The 107 points were the most scored by North Carolina in a series that began in the 1913 season, and was just the fourth 100-plus effort by the Tar Heels in 231 meetings between the sister schools. NC State has never scored 100 against UNC.

The Pack got off to a bad start on Sunday and never recovered, trailing 56-23 at halftime. That was the fewest points scored by NC State in a first half since leading UNCG 20-18 in a win on Dec. 22, 2015.

So far this season ACC teams have scored 25 or fewer points in 16 different first halves. Only seven of those squads rallied to victory. The low scoring output in an opening period was achieved by Georgia Tech in a 60-43 loss to archrival Georgia. The Yellow Jackets had 18 at halftime, fewer than one point per minute.

The only ACC teams that scored 30 or more in a first half this season are North Carolina, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and Wake Forest.

SPUTTERING STARTS
Lowest First-Half Scoring by ACC Teams in 2017 Season, Through Jan. 8
Pts School Opponent 1H Score Result Site
18 Georgia Tech Georgia 18-27 L H
21 Louisville Virginia 21-36 L H
22 Virginia California 22-22 W A
23 Boston College Kansas St. 22-31 L N
23 Boston College Hartford 23-27 L H
23 Clemson Oklahoma 23-35 L N
23 Florida State Virginia 23-30 W A
23 Miami Stanford 23-27 W N
23 Syracuse Connecticut 23-21 L N
23 NC State UNC 23-56 L A
23 Virginia Tech Nebraska 23-26 W N
24 Louisville Old Dominion 24-24 W N
24 Virginia Ohio St. 24-36 W H
25 Boston College Providence 25-29 W H
25 Georgia Tech Tennessee 25-42 L A
25 Virginia West Virginia 25-24 L H

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