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RALEIGH, N.C. – North Carolina State used two second-half runs open up a big lead en route to an 88-70 win over the University of South Alabama men's basketball team Sunday evening at PNC Arena.

The Wolfpack had four players in double-digit scoring, jumped out to a 9-0 lead, and shot 58.6 percent from the floor in the second half. Both teams are now 1-1 on the year.

"The start of the game was a little rough for us," USA head coach Matthew Graves said. "We had a couple of guys that were a little bit shell-shocked; we don't get the opportunity to play an ACC school very often. So we got out to a slow start, but I was really proud of how our guys held their composure. Guys off bench gave great minutes and by halftime I thought we had the game where it needed to be.

"To start the second half, the thing that really killed us was our shot selection. Our shot selection led to transition points and offensive rebounds. You dig yourself a hole and our margin for error isn't as big as it needs to be. I'm disappointed in our shot selection but it's something we can learn from and move forward."

Despite falling behind by nine in the opening moments, the Jaguars battled back and got as close as two at the 4:26 mark and trailed 40-34 at halftime.

The Wolfpack came out strong to start the second half, scoring eight of the first 10 points to take a double-digit lead for the first time, then after going up by nine midway through the period, they scored eight unanswered over a 2:16 stretch to take a commanding 61-44 lead at the 9:56 mark.

A few minutes later, N.C. State went on a 9-2 run to put the game away.

"They're big and long inside, and I thought for the most part our guys battled and didn't give them angles," Graves said. "Certainly, we did wear down as the game went on and our intensity wasn't as good on defense. In transition defense, you get that quick, missed shot and you have to box out, and they got a couple of tip dunks that really kept them going."

Sophomore Taishaun Johnson (Indianapolis, Ind.) came off the bench to post a team-best 18 points on 8 of 9 shooting from the free-throw line. Seniors John Brown (Charlotte, N.C.) and Barrington Stevens III (Allen, Texas) had 10 points each.

"I thought John Brown came in and gave us a quick spurt, with 10 points and seven rebounds in 20 minutes," Graves noted. "I was really proud with how he played off the bench. I thought Taishaun in the second half gave us a spark at times. He was able to get to the free-throw line and convert. Anytime you can get to the free-throw line, it does two things: it allows us to get nice, easy points from our guards, and it also puts the other team in foul trouble. Taishaun did a great job of creating fouls and getting to the line."

N.C. State got a game-high 19 points from Caleb Martin on four 3-pointers, and Anthony Barber just missed a triple-double with 17 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists.

It took almost five minutes for the Jags to hit their first field goal of the contest and faced a nine-point deficit five times in the opening half, but cut the deficit to 24-20 after a triple from Brown, then to two a few minutes later on a trey from junior Don MuepoKelly (Fontana, Calif.).

"I thought we had a lot of resolve," Graves said. "When you're down 9-0, it would have been easy to bury yourself. We have more guys off the bench that are playing better. I think we have a deep team. One of the things we're still learning is what guys to play at certain times. I'm still learning. Our coaches are still learning. Overall, I'm proud of our first-half effort, proud that they stayed together as a team. But we certainly need to keep improving."

South Alabama returns to action Thursday with a road game at LSU (8 p.m.).

NOTES: N.C. State got 70 of 88 points from its starters… South Alabama has lost its road opener in 20 of the last 22 years… Johnson's 18 points are his most since putting up 19 at Georgia State on Feb. 19, 2015… The Wolfpack won the rebounding battle 47-42, including 28-19 in the second half, and outscored the Jags 40-24 in the paint.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

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