NC State stunned by hot-shooting William & Mary

The frustration of just missing the NCAA tournament the past two years had seven months to fester among returning members of the Williams & Mary basketball team. When the college basketball regular season tipped off Friday night at heavily favored North Carolina State, the Tribe was ready to get back to work.

On the day coach Mark Gottfried received a new contract and a raise, he watched his NC State team fall flat from the start and struggle throughout in a 85-68 loss that served as one of the biggest surprises of opening night. It was hardly the way the Wolfpack envisioned starting the season following a surprising run to the Sweet 16 last spring.

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William & Mary made four 3-pointers and a three-point play in the first eight minutes to jump to a 27-7 lead and the Wolfpack never recovered from its shaky start. The Tribe shot 52 percent in the game and made nine of 22 attempts from behind the arc.

Junior guards Daniel Dixon and Omar Prewitt led the way, combining for 36 points as part of a four-guard starting lineup.

Caleb Martin scored 21 for the Wolfpack, making five of his team’s six 3-pointers. North Carolina State attempted 11 more shots in the game than William & Mary but went 27-for-71. Junior Anthony Barber struggled to find his shot, making four of 16 attempts.

There were no real warning signs that the Wolfpack might stumble. They handled Cal St. Los Angeles in an exhibition game and came into the opener with three returning starters and several other experienced players.

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[Kyle Ringo is the assistant editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @KyleRingo