Dorn, Kapita lead Wolfpack over St. Francis Brooklyn 86-61

RALEIGH, N.C. -- While missing one key player, North Carolina State found another.

Ted Kapita scored 17 points in his debut to help the Wolfpack beat St. Francis Brooklyn 86-61 on Sunday.

Torin Dorn added 21 points for N.C. State (2-0), which shot 59 percent.

Kapita, a freshman from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, sat out the Wolfpack's season-opening win over Georgia Southern on Friday because the NCAA was reviewing his eligibility.

The 6-foot-8 forward came off the bench to make 7 of 8 shots and grab eight rebounds in 24 minutes.

"What a great first night for Ted Kapita," N.C. State coach Mark Gottfried said. "Wow. He comes in there, he plays with great energy, he's got enthusiasm, he gets rebounds, and he also concentrates and puts the ball in the basket."

Abdul-Malik Abu and Dennis Smith Jr. had 12 points apiece for N.C. State, and Terry Henderson scored 11.

The Wolfpack played without starting swingman Maverick Rowan, who reported feeling concussion-like symptoms after scoring 17 points in Friday's victory over Georgia Southern.

Glenn Sanabria scored 14 points to lead St. Francis (0-1), which trailed 42-31 at halftime. Rasheem Dunn added 12 points and Yunus Hopkinson 10.

St. Francis led 7-4 early, but N.C. State scored on nine of its next 10 possessions during a 19-4 spurt to seize control.

"We need to develop some poise on offense," St. Francis coach Glenn Braica said. "They're playing the like the house is on fire a little bit, but that's OK. They've got good energy."

BIG PICTURE

St. Francis: The Terriers played with plenty of effort, as evidenced by the fact that 10 of their first 13 points came after offensive rebounds. They can take solace in the fact that they won't have many games more difficult than this one on their schedule.

N.C. State: The Wolfpack showed why they are a popular choice to be a dangerous team by the end of the season. With the emergence of Kapita, they will have four strong options in the post after Omer Yurtseven becomes eligible next month.

FRESHMAN STANDOUT

Kapita entered the game with 5:23 left in the first half and scored eight points in the final 4:21 before halftime. He played a large role in N.C. State's 52-18 advantage on points in the paint, but his intensity was just as noticeable as his production.

"Nobody can teach in basketball how you control yourself, how you play, your energy level," Kapita said. "I think that's something none of the coaches can coach me there. It's something I have inside of me. I play with my heart."

INJURY UPDATE

Rowan, who was replaced in the starting lineup by senior BeeJay Anya, is in the Wolfpack's NCAA-approved concussion protocol. N.C. State said Rowan's CT scan was negative. "Holding him out obviously is the right thing to do," Gottfried said. "Hopefully he'll be back for us in the next couple of days."

TIP-INS

After missing its final 16 3-point attempts in its opener, N.C. State made only 1 of 7 3-point tries against St. Francis. . Smith picked up his fourth foul with 15:04 remaining in the game and sat out for the next 7 1/2 minutes. . The Terriers hustled their way to 16 offensive rebounds and outscored the Wolfpack 19-14 on second-chance points.

UP NEXT

St. Francis: Plays at No. 8 Virginia on Tuesday in a tough game against another Atlantic Coast Conference opponent.

N.C. State: Plays Montana in the Virgin Islands on Friday. It's the first of three games in a four-day stretch for the Wolfpack at the Paradise Jam.