NC State Basketball: 3 keys to victory for the Wolfpack against Pittsburgh

NC State Basketball: 3 keys to victory for the Wolfpack vs. Pittsburgh

WICHITA, KS - MARCH 15: Markell Johnson #11 of the North Carolina State Wolfpack walks across the court in the second half against the Seton Hall Pirates during the first round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament at INTRUST Arena on March 15, 2018 in Wichita, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

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MIAMI, FL – DECEMBER 01: Head coach Kevin Keatts of the North Carolina State Wolfpack reacts against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the HoopHall Miami Invitational at American Airlines Arena on December 1, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

NC State Basketball came up short against the North Carolina Tar Heels on Tuesday night. Here’s a look at three keys to victory against Pittsburgh.

After reeling off seven straight wins, the NC State Wolfpack’s winning streak came to an end on Tuesday night in an 80-72 loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels. They look to get back to their winning ways on Saturday against a guard-heavy Pittsburgh Panthers squad.

The Wolfpack are still the 15th ranked team in the AP Poll and a victory here will allow that number to hold true against Pittsburgh. The Panthers are coming off an 89-86 overtime victory over the Louisville Cardinals on the road, so NC State is sure to get all they can handle.

Both teams are 1-1 in ACC play as they look to create some distance in the standings between each other. The Wolfpack are 13-2 on the season while the Panthers are 11-4 on the year, with three of their four losses coming by a combined total of 12 points.

The young Pittsburgh guards are sure to pose a challenge for the Wolfpack, but NC State has an experienced backcourt of their own looking to avenge their first loss in ACC play. Markell Johnson is coming off a 4-of-12 shooting performance that saw him put up just 11 points while turning the ball over five times. With four days to prepare for this one, here’s a look at three keys to victory for NC State against the Panthers.

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