Raleigh, NC-The Vikings showed that they could hang with the best of them and be competitive in conference play after last night's 87-68 loss to the Wolfpack of North Carolina State University in the first of two highly anticipated exhibition games to launch the 2021-22 season.
 
"Great opportunity for the young men on our roster. They played really hard and competed on a high major stage. Proud of their effort
 
"Great opportunity for the young men on our roster," said head coach Shawn Walker. "They played really hard and competed on a high major stage. I am proud of their effort."
 
The ACC vs. CIAA action that went down in Raleigh, NC, allowed the Vikings to play on the big stage against a packed PNC Arena. The ECSU fans and alumni showed up for the team in large numbers.
 
The Vikings left it all on the court from start to finish; ECSU's returning core proved to be solid early in the game. Senior guard Gabriel Kirkendoll (Jacksonville, NC) scored the first basket for the Vikings, followed by a 3-pointer from graduate student Zac Hobbs (Maysville, NC), making it a 6-5 NC State lead at the 15:49 mark. The Vikings trailed NC State 50-31 at the half.
 
"Proud of my guys for how they fought and competed in a big-time environment," said Hobbs. "I see major improvement from the week before, and I'm ready to continue the journey!
 
A healthy Zac Hobbs can be expected to play great minutes and lead the Vikings offensively this season, and that is just what he did. Hobbs led the team in scoring, recording 14 points, assists with three, and tied for rebounds with five. Newcomer Brandon Belotti (Apex, NC) followed up with 10 points in his first action as a Viking. While Charles Page (Fayetteville, NC) rounded out the double-digit scoring for ECSU with 10 points in his first official game.
 
Veteran forward Shykeef Daniels secured five rebounds and added eight points. 
 
"Very proud of me and my teammates for competing at such a high level," said Daniels. "We are all looking to continue to improve as a team and get better each and every day throughout the course of the season."
 
Jericole Helms led the Wolfpack totaling 16 points and a single turnover, followed by 12 points each from Breon Pass and Terquavion Smith. Dereaon Seabron secured six rebounds to lead NC State on the boards.
 
Despite playing a much bigger ACC team that outsized the Vikings, the major game difference was turnovers. NC State scored 30 points off ECSU's 27 turnovers.
 
The bench play was huge for the Vikings, with players like Page and Belotti rising to the occasion to take control of the game; ECSU ended the night with 42 points from the bench.
 
As the season progresses, it will be exciting to see what the guys can do inside the paint; last night, a third of the Vikings scoring was inside the paint.
 
The Vikings will be back in action at UNC Chapel Hill for another ACC exhibition game against the Tar Heels on Friday, November 5th, at 7 pm. 
 
Follow Elizabeth City State Athletics via its official website at www.ecsuvikings.com to get pre-and post-game stories and updates.
 
ECSU Athletics is also on social media, follow us on Twitter at @ECSUVikings and Instagram at @ecsusports