Virginia makes plays on road to beat NC State

RALEIGH, N.C. --- Virginia basketball coach Tony Bennett wasn't pleased with his team's overall defensive performance Saturday night at N.C. State, but he was happy to escape the RBC Center with a 61-60 victory. The 19th-ranked Cavaliers held on to defeat the Wolfpack on the strength of a strong offensive first half, 3-point shooting, and by hitting enough free throws late to maintain its separation. The Wahoos improved to 17-3 overall and 4-2 in the ACC while the Wolfpack dropped to 15-7 and 4-3. The following is the report card for both teams' performances: Virginia offense: The Cavaliers often got the looks they wanted, especially in the first half. They shared the ball nicely, had solid movement, and when Sammy Zeglinski nails 4 of 5 3-point attempts, you know it could be a good night. Those 3s were needed, because UVa struggled getting better looks in the second half, a reason it finished with just eight assists as a team. Grade: C. N.C. State offense: Other than a decent stretch in the first half, the Pack dribbled way too much, took quick shots that could have come alter in possessions, and just didn't stick to running its stuff after a few passes. Credit Virginia's pack line defense, though the Pack did get some big late baskets to nearly pull out the victory. Yet, it shot just 40.4 percent from the floor, including a paltry 2-for-15 from beyond the arc. Grade: C. Virginia defense: Bennett wasn't happy with the numerous good looks the Wolfpack got, especially by attacking the basket in the first half. UVa cut some of that out after the intermission, but it also had some issues trying to keep C.J. Leslie (17 points) from being productive. Grade: C. N.C. State defense: Awful in the first half and much better in the second 20 minutes. Virginia scored 15 fewer points after the intermission than before, and converted just four field goals after halftime, too. But State sent the Cavaliers to the line for 19 second-half free throws, which made a huge difference. Grade: C. Virginia intangibles: A road win in the ACC against a team as talented as State's starting unit is requires plenty of intangibles. UVa made the plays it had to in order to leave with a victory. Some big shots by Joe Harris in the second half, its defensive stop on the final possession, and its defense on Scott Wood were all part of the preparation and execution intangible that is a key element in this program's growth. Grade: B. N.C. State intangibles: The Pack did an excellent job crashing the offensive glass, picking up 18 offensive rebounds on the night. The problem, though, is it didn't capitalize enough, scoring just 17 points off of those grabs. State played hard and was clearly ready to move on after the debacle in Chapel Hill the other night. And it raced back from a nine-point deficit and had the ball with a chance to win it on the final possession. It was a loss, but there's plenty NCSU can build from. Grade: B-.