RALEIGH, N.C. _ Ted Kapita let out a frustrated "ahh" when he missed a free throw in the second half of Sunday's win over St. Francis (N.Y.).
The N.C. State freshman forward had made his first nine shots, maybe he wanted to have a perfect game in his college debut.
Kapita was close enough. He scored 17 points and added a team-high eight rebounds off the bench to lift the Wolfpack to a 86-61 win over the Terriers from the Northeast Conference.
Kapita made his first six field goals and first three free throws before he missed a free throw at 7:33. The 6-foot-8, 219-pound power forward from the Democratic Republic of the Congo showed off an array of post moves and a soft touch in his first college game.
He missed Friday's 81-79 win over Georgia Southern while the NCAA reviewed his eligibility. Kapita's amateur status was in question after he was courted by pro leagues in France and Las Vegas.
Kapita didn't check into the game until the 5:23 mark of the first half, but he made quick work. He grabbed a rebound of a BeeJay Anya miss at 4:21 and was fouled. He made his free throws to give N.C. State a 33-19 lead.
His first field goal came two minutes later with a nifty dribble spin and take to the basket for a layup.
With starters Dennis Smith Jr. and Abdul-Malik Abu in foul trouble, N.C. State needed Kapita and others to step up.
Sophomore guard Torin Dorn led the Wolfpack with 21 points, on 9-of-11 shooting, while senior guard Terry Henderson finished with 11 points.
Sophomore wing Maverick Rowan missed the game with a concussion-like symptoms he suffered in a physical game with Georgia Southern in the opener on Friday.
Last year, if Abu and the point guard were foul trouble, N.C. State would have been sunk. The Wolfpack's depth came in handy on Sunday in a game it controlled from start to finish.
Kapita was the big surprise. He was cleared by the NCAA on Friday and showed why N.C. State coach Mark Gottfried was so excited about his range of skills.
Kapita finished an alley-oop from freshman forward Darius Hicks at 14:03 for a 56-41 lead and then caught a pass from freshman guard Markell Johnson in traffic and went up strong for a layup.
He was fouled on the play but fought through contact to finish the basket, a trait N.C. State's bigs have lacked for much of Gottfried's six-year tenure.
After the hoop, Kapita flexed his biceps for the crowd and then waved to the fans for more noise.
