Wolfpack fans have a lot to be thankful for after some impressive performances from the NC State Athletics department this Thanksgiving week. While it was a slower few days for some of the teams on campus, it was an action-packed week for others, so let’s recap what you may have missed over the holiday.
Football wins rivalry game in Chapel Hill
Perhaps the biggest game of last week was the annual rivalry football matchup on the road at UNC-Chapel Hill.
Against all odds, the Wolfpack managed to pull off the 30-27 upset win in double overtime to defeat the No. 17 ranked Tar Heels. Even with redshirt freshman quarterback Ben Finley, who started the season on the scout team, NC State came out on top in a gritty performance.
In his first career start, Finley went 27 for 40 for 271 yards and two touchdowns, leading the Pack to one of its biggest victories all season.
Senior kicker Christopher Dunn capped off the regular season with another incredible performance as well — earning another ACC Specialist of the Week honor with 12 points in the matchup, including two field goals in overtime to keep NC State alive and secure the win. Also of note is the continued success of the Wolfpack defense, which has not allowed more than 30 points to an opponent all season.
Men’s basketball goes 2-1 in Atlantis
The NC State men’s basketball team spent the holiday in paradise, competing in the Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis tournament against No. 3 Kansas, Dayton and Butler.
NC State began the weekend with a loss against Kansas but the team showed fight throughout the entire matchup, losing by just six points with a 80-74 final score to one of the highest-ranked teams in the country.
Thanksgiving day marked a huge 76-64 victory over Dayton though, highlighted by a 27-point performance out of graduate guard Jarkel Joiner.
The Wolfpack left the Bahamas on a high note, ending the tournament with a 76-61 win over Butler, whose roster includes former NC State basketball player Manny Bates.
Joiner continued a very successful trip with 15 points in that game, but this victory was more of a team effort with five athletes grabbing double-digit points and an impressive eight rebounds from graduate student guard Jack Clark.
Read the recap over Kansas here.
Read about the win over Dayton here.
Read about the win over Butler here.
Women’s basketball goes undefeated in Cancun
NC State women’s basketball also spent Thanksgiving in paradise, competing in the Cancun Challenge against Vanderbilt and West Virginia.
The tournament started with an 82-73 win over the Commodores on Thanksgiving led by senior Jakia Brown-Turner and junior Diamond Johnson who had 18 and 16 points respectively. Johnson went 6-9 on field goals and was 4-6 from the 3-point line with nine rebounds.
They were the stars of the show once again in the victory over West Virginia with a 16-point performance from Johnson to lead the Pack to the 78-40 win.
Read about the win over Vanderbilt here.
Read about the win over West Virginia here.
Volleyball closes regular season with two more wins
Not to be overshadowed by everything else last week, the NC State volleyball team closed out its regular season with two more wins, a 3-1 victory at home against Virginia and a 3-1 win on the road at Syracuse.
Sophomore outside hitter Martyna Leoniak was a big part of both wins, contributing 11 kills and two blocks against the Cavaliers and leading the team with 16 kills along with four aces and three blocks against the Orange.
