In one of the most intense games of the season, NC State men’s basketball took a heart-wrenching loss in Palo Alto, Calif. to Stanford 74-73, extending its losing streak to eight games in a row.

NC State (9-14, 2-10 ACC) has faced criticism over its inability to finish close contests and its lack of consistency on the offensive side of the court. Many have questioned head coach Kevin Keatts’s end-of-game play calling as well as his roster decisions this season. With many positives displayed in the matchup against Stanford (16-8, 8-5 ACC), it felt like it might be different this time.

The game was tied at 71 and with less than a minute to go and the ball in Stanford’s hands, and the Pack had a chance to take full control with a stop and a score. Solid defense from senior guard Jayden Taylor jarred the ball loose, but a foul called on the putback attempt put the Cardinal at the line, where it sank one of two free throws.

This is the point in the game where things usually fall apart for the Pack. Now, it was down one with 33 seconds to go. Instead of crumbling, freshman guard Trey Parker put the team on his back, driving to the basket and passing the ball out, producing a solid shot attempt from senior forward Dontrez Styles, but the shot was blocked. It fell into the hands of maybe the shortest player on the floor — the freshman himself — who put it in to take the lead for the Pack.

Still, with 16.8 seconds left on the clock, Stanford did not waver, pushing the ball down the floor and finishing a tough layup at the hoop. Once again, the Pack was forced to summon something it hadn’t had all season.

The Pack rushed past half court and called its final timeout to set up a play — an action which has given Wolfpack fans nightmares in recent memory. The Pack inbounded the ball out to senior guard Marcus Hill near half court, who drove the ball, muscling his way down the lane. With the lane clogged, Hill flung the ball into the hands of Parker. With seven-foot-one Maxine Raynaud leaping into him, Parker hoisted a moonball. Landing on the inner edge of the rim, the ball rolled in, around and out, giving the Pack yet another loss.

Although a disappointing outcome, Parker showed flashes of greatness throughout the game and scored a career-high 19 points. But what was most impressive from the freshman was his five assists — all of which came in the second half. Parker shot 4-4 from 3 in the first half, displaying tremendous shooting ability and solidifying himself as the go-to scorer that Keatts has been searching for all year, but also solidified himself as a facilitator and leader.

Senior forward Ben Middlebrooks lined up against Stanford’s big man — three-time ACC Player of the Week — Raynaud, but foul trouble kept Middlebrooks off of the court in crunch time as he fouled out with 5:41 left in the game. With Middlebrooks on the bench and senior forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield back in Raleigh with a shoulder injury, junior forward Ismael Diouf was tasked with protecting the basket for the remainder of the game without rest.

Styles filled in some of the gaps in the paint, scoring 18 points, including 11 points from the free throw line. Styles also collected a team-high seven rebounds.

The Wolfpack is currently 16th in the ACC standings — second to last — two wins back from 14th. The bottom three teams will not make the conference tournament, so with eight games to go, the Pack is in serious danger of missing the ACC Tournament. The Pack must string some wins together or it will be watching the ACC tournament from home for the first iteration of the tournament with an expanded league.

NC State will next see action on Wednesday, Feb. 12 taking on Louisville in the Lenovo Center at 7 p.m.