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Quick start helps N.C. State stun Pitt

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North Carolina State’s Anthony Barber (12) drives around Pittsburgh’s James Robinson during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2016, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

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Pittsburgh’s Jamel Artis shoots against North Carolina State’s Caleb Martin during the first half of Tuesday’s night game in Pittsburgh.

PITTSBURGH – Anthony Barber bounced back from his worst game of the season to score 31 points and N.C. State stunned Pittsburgh 78-61 Tuesday night.

Barber, held to nine points in a loss to North Carolina last Saturday, made 8 of 18 shots and all 14 of his free throws while adding seven rebounds and eight assists. Abdul Malik-Abu had 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Wolfpack (1-5 ACC, 11-8), who ended a five-game losing streak by building a 28-point first half lead and withstanding a push by the Panthers.

Jamel Artis led Pitt (4-2, 15-3) with 16 points and Michael Young added 14 but the Panthers were never really in it. Pitt fell behind by 10 in the first eight minutes and never got closer the rest of the way.

Wolfpack coach Mark Gottfried kept stressing he had a good team on his hands even as N.C. State opened ACC play with five straight losses for the first time since 1997. For a night, the Wolfpack played like the club Gottfried thought he had back in October before guard Terry Henderson tore up his ankle in the season opener and a string of tight defeats mounted.

N.C. State had little trouble getting whatever it wanted early against the Panthers, who have molded themselves into an efficient offensive machine since making the switch from the Big East to the ACC three years ago. Pitt came in third in the conference in scoring and fourth in shooting and ripped through Boston College in the second half of an 84-61 victory last Saturday.

It all disappeared under a steady stream of turnovers and missed shots during a nightmarish 20 minutes.

The Panthers struggled to stay in front of Barber – who lit Pitt up for 34 points in the ACC tournament last spring – and the league’s leading scorer had plenty of help. Freshman Maverick Rowan, a former Pitt commit who opted to sign with the Wolfpack instead, hit three 3-pointers during an onslaught that was only stopped by the halftime buzzer.

N.C. State’s 44-19 advantage at the break was the largest ever by a Pitt opponent at home during Dixon’s 13-year tenure.

Pitt drew within 56-42 on a traditional three-point play by Young with 10:20 to go but the Wolfpack responded with a layup by BeeJay Anya and consecutive baskets by Barber to push it back to 20 and drain whatever energy remained out of Pitt’s normally raucous student section.

NC State: Rowan, who grew up in Western Pennsylvania before moving to Florida late in his high school career, finished with 14 points, including 4 of 6 3-pointers despite drawing boos from the “Oakland Zoo,” which passed out a hype sheet pregame with suggestions on how to rattle Rowan. … The Wolfpack outrebounded Pitt 46-30.

Pitt: The Panthers, who began the night as the best free throw shooting team in the country (78 percent) made 12 of 17 (71 percent) at the line. … Pitt made just 5 of 17 3-point attempts (29 percent).

NC State: hosts Duke Saturday.

Pitt: at Florida State Saturday.

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