After disappointing back-to-back losses, N.C. State needed to make a stand in Blacksburg, Va. Saturday if it was to earn a third consecutive berth to the NCAA Tournament. Luckily for the Wolfpack, a trio of underclassmen came through for State when the Pack needed it the most.
A duo of State sophomores, forward T.J. Warren and guard Tyler Lewis helped lead the Pack to victory as N.C. State held off the Virginia Tech Hokies, 71-64, at Cassell Coliseum. The Wolfpack improved to 17-10 overall and 7-7 in the ACC after the win.
State entered the game looking to avoid a three-game losing streak after dropping a heartbreaker at No. 1 Syracuse and being routed by Clemson in its next game.
N.C. State head coach Mark Gottfried, who has guided the Wolfpack to the NCAA Tournament in both of his two previous seasons in Raleigh, was pleased with his squad’s response against Virginia Tech.
“We have had two really good practices after a really bad game at Clemson,” Gottfried said. “We had a lot of energy the last two days, and it carried over into today. I thought our energy level was really high.”
“We were aggressive, and I thought that was important to start the way that we did. [This] is a very important win for our team. I’m really proud of our guys to come on the road [and get the win], and Virginia Tech had been playing really well the last three games.”
N.C. State never trailed in the contest. The Pack jumped out to an early six-point lead when Warren connected on back-to-back 3 -pointers. The sophomore from Durham, the ACC’s leading scorer entering the contest, finished with 31 points on 12-for-21 shooting from the floor.
“From the start, I felt good,” Warren said. “I just wanted to be aggressive from the start. Everything is important right now.”
It marked the seventh time in his career that Warren finished with more than 30 points in a game, moving him into a tie for 4th place all-time in N.C. State history with former Wolfpack All-American guard Sammy Ranzino. Only David Thompson, Rodney Monroe and Kenny Carr have tallied at least 30 points in a game more times for the Pack.
“[Warren] was aggressive and did a terrific job,” Gottfried said. “We got off to a great start. T.J. hit the two threes to start the game. I thought that gave us a lift. He just does so much to help our team. We take for granted sometimes the fact that he can pick it up out of there and get a steal, get a defensive rebound or offensive rebound. He’s a tough player to defend. You can try all kinds of stuff, [but] he just finds a way.”
Lewis played 36 minutes and finished with eight points and a career-best 11 assists while not committing a single turnover.
“I feel like I am in shape to get 36 minutes day-in, day-out,” Lewis said, “And it felt really good to go out there and control the team and play my game.”
Lewis’ recent play has drawn praise from both his teammates and his coaches.
“Tyler orchestrated the offensive really well,” Warren said. “He was finding the open man, kicking it back and attacking the basket too. We have to take care of the ball.”
Freshman forward Kyle Washington tallied 13 points in the game, and is averaging 11.3 points per game during the last three contests. N.C. State committed seven turnovers against the Hokies and took 24 more shots than Virginia Tech.
“Tyler was the main reason for that,” Gottfried said. “[He had] 11 assists and no turnovers. Not a lot of guys in America could get that.”
“[Washington] played great. He made some big shots and, for a freshman, did a nice job.”
N.C. State returns to action Wednesday when the Pack hosts rival North Carolina at PNC Arena, with tipoff set for 8 p.m.
