With thirty seconds left to go, Wolfpack fans started piling out of the RBC Center, but this time it was because State had the game in hand.
But N.C. State (14-11 overall, 4-7 ACC) did not obtain this lead against Clemson until late in the second half. With about seven minutes left to go, the Pack gained a 54-53 lead that it would not relinquish.
Thursday night’s 69-61 victory over Clemson (17-9 overall, 6-6 ACC) marked the second consecutive conference win for the Wolfpack and the team’s first back-to-back wins since beating Wake Forest and Elon.
Coach Sidney Lowe said he was very pleased of the way the team played Thursday night.
“It was a great ball game, I’m really proud of the guys,” Lowe said. “The way they hung in there and picked up the defense, especially in the second half, it was great.”
Freshmen C.J. Leslie, Lorenzo Brown and Ryan Harrow started for the second straight contest. The freshmen trio were joined the starting lineup by Scott Wood, who finished with five points, and Tracy Smith who finished with 14 points and eight rebounds.
Leslie paced the Pack offensively in the first half, finishing the 14 points at intermission on his way to a career-best 18 points and 10 rebounds.
Lowe said Leslie’s performance in the first half energized the team.
“Leslie was outstanding and his energy was great with some big-time plays this game and last game,” Lowe said. “He’s growing and learning as a player, I like the way it’s going.”
Leslie’s fellow classmates Harrow and Brown struggled to find their shot, but were able to chip in with three points each.
Despite not starting, senior Javier Gonzalez had one of his best games since ACC play started finishing with 11 points and three assists.
According to coach Lowe, Gonzalez’s experience proved vital to the team, along with being a key player in aiding to the victory for the Pack.
“Javi didn’t necessarily run the show, but he controlled the game,” Lowe said. “He showed his experience tonight and that’s why I put him in there.”
In the Pack’s seven conference games the team has been out-rebounded by its opponent each time. It was a different story against the Tigers, as the Pack finished with a 46-38 rebounding advantage.
Early in the second half, State grabbed a one-point lead over the Tigers which would remain close until seven minutes on the clock.
Junior C.J. Williams then scored his first basket of the game which started a 9-0 run and gave the Wolfpack the lead until the end of the game. Gonzalez secured the Pack’s victory by hitting five free throws in the last five minutes of the game.
N.C. State’s next game will be against Maryland held in College Park on Sunday at 5:30 p.m.
Sights and Sounds
The crowd went wild early in the game when sophomore forward Richard Howell made an unexpected three-pointer, just his second of the season. Howell finished just short of a double-double with nine points and 10 reounds.
Three-point signs shot up along with the crowd when sophomore forward Scott Wood hit his first three-pointer of the game to tie the score at 44.
Following three straight foul calls against the Pack on a single possession, the crowd begins to boo loudly after they believed the refs were missing calls on the other side of the floor.
With 33 seconds left to go, the crowd began to file out of the RBC Center as realization set in the the Pack secured its fourth conference victory of the season.
