Kevin Keatts and NC State played their final home game of the 2022-23 basketball season Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately, that game did not go as planned for the Wolfpack.

A disastrous defensive effort allowed Clemson to put up 54 points in the first half and build a 54-29 lead at the break. Things did get much better after halftime with the Tigers rolling to a 96-71 win while shooting 59.6% from the field and 10-for-19 from 3-point range.

While NC State should be a lock for the NCAA Tournament, Keatts was left to try and address the blowout loss after the game. He admitted the Wolfpack did “an awful job defending” against the Tigers and also said the team must move on from this loss with March Madness right around the corner.

As for issues in the game, Keatts did not see any glaring problems with NC State’s energy or effort but noted Clemson was simply better on Saturday.

NC State has one more game in the regular season with a Tuesday road trip against Duke. Hopefully, the Wolfpack are able to gain some momentum in that matchup before heading to the ACC basketball Tournament.