NC State fends off App State without C.J. Bryce, 72-60

Photo by Jaylynn Nash/Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesApparently deciding that an extra challenge was necessary, NC State lost C.J. Bryce to a head injury prior to the start of its game against Appalachian State. It’s far from ideal to lose your best wing player right before tipoff, but the Wolfpack handled a solid App State team anyway, 72-60.

D.J. Funderburk played at the four-spot a lot as a result of Bryce’s absence and responded really well—so well he scored a career-high 22 points on 10-14 shooting.

The Mountaineers did well to hang around in the first half, and NC State didn’t get any real separation prior to a 15-6 run to close out the first 20 minutes, capped by an acrobatic finish…