By DAVID DROSCHAK
AP Sports Writer
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) (Nov. 23) -- Herb Sendek has seen Kenny Inge, one of NorthCarolina State's more physical players, fall to the floor many times inhis career. Onmost occasions, the junior hops up and continues down the court.
Not this time.
N.C. State's 75-61 victory over Old Dominion on Tuesday night may provecostly for Inge, who either strained or partially tore a ligament in hisleft knee early inthe second half.
"We've been down that road and we've had our cross to bear," Sendeksaid of a rash of injuries that have hit his team the last two seasons."There is no escapingthat. If you start listing them, they start to add up."
Inge limped off the court with 17:47 left after he hurt his knee goingfor a rebound. Sendek said Inge will be evaluated Wednesday by doctors,but he admitted that abest-case scenario for his return could be early January.
"I had a funny feeling when he got taken to the locker room and he wasnowhere to be found on the bench," Sendek said of the 6-foot-8 Inge."That is the firsttime that has ever happened."
Sendek said he was proud that his team hung tough with one of itsleaders down. Damon Thorton scored 16 points and the Wolfpack used a10-0 run midwaythrough the second half to break open the close game.
"They are a very big team," said Old Dominion coach Jeff Capel. "Theydid a much better job in the second half of establishing their insidegame. There wasn't a lotwe could do to stop them when we gave up position down low."
The Wolfpack (2-0) trailed 50-47 with 11:59 left and had scored only onebasket over a six-minute span before going on its decisive run againstthe Monarchs(1-1).
Anthony Grundy added 15 points for the Wolfpack, while Ron Kelley had astrong game off the bench, scoring 13.
Skipper Youngblood led Old Dominion with 16 points.
Archie Miller's 3-pointer with 11 minutes left marked t`e 16th leadchangd of the game and put the Wolfpack up for good. The other highlightof the spurt was analley-oop dunk by Thornton from Grundy, whose two free throws gave N.C.State a 57-50 lead.
The Monarchs, who shot 60 percent in the first half but only 29 percentin the final 20 minutes, closed to 57-54 with 5:39 left. But DamienWilkins and Grundy madeconsecutive 3-pointers 39 seconds apart to increase the lead to nine.The long shot by Wilkins from the top of the key was his first bucket ofthe game.
"I think Herb got their attention at halftime," Capel said.
The Wolfpack iced the game with eight straight free throws over thefinal 1:30.
The first half produced 10 ties and 10 lead changes, and neither clubled by more than five points.
Thornton, who scored 11 points in the season opener last Friday, had 10points in the first 20 minutes in his inside battle with Youngblood, whohad 12.