In a game where N.C. State struggled to shoot the ball from the field throughout, junior forward Ben McCauley made sure this one was going to go in.

“You see different teams doing it on top 10, and you think well that’d be awesome to get the game-winner, and sure enough I did,” McCauley said. “It’s awesome.”

With the game tied 65-65 with five seconds to go against Wake Forest at the RBC Center, senior forward Gavin Grant took the ball the length of the court and pulled up from the 3-point line to try to win the game. The shot glanced off the back rim, but McCauley tore down the lane to flush the rebound with his left hand as time expired.

Wake Forest coach Dino Gaudio praised McCauley for his efforts in the final seconds.

“I thought we did a good job defending it,” Gaudio said. “Obviously we didn’t do a good job of boxing out. Their bigs deserve credit for staying with the play. When the shot went up, I didn’t think there would be time for a follow shot, but there was.”

Although the game was close throughout, State did not take its first lead until J.J. Hickson finished a fast break with a reverse slam-dunk with 2:56 left to play.

“It was a long time,” coach Sidney Lowe said. “We were just trying to battle and keep it close and try to chip away at it. It came down to the stops, to making stops first. We did that. Then we were able to execute and make shots for ourselves.”

Grant said the play was a turning point in the game.

“We woke up and came out with more intensity in the second half,” Grant said. “They probably could have blown the game wide open. We got some stops that we needed to down the stretch. [Point guard] Javier [Gonzalez] and J.J. [Hickson] connected on a layup, and that’s what finally put us up.”

The Pack, however, squandered several chances at the free-throw line to put some distance between itself and a resilient Demon Deacon squad. Up 65-63 with 13 seconds left, Hickson missed two from the free throw line, allowing Wake Forest to tie the game on a layup with about five seconds left.

Lowe, though disappointed with the misses, lauded his team for showing some grit and tenacity during the final few plays.

“We had an opportunity there,” Lowe said. “We had free throws, and we missed those free throws. But to have the guys execute the play … Gavin got a look at it, and Ben just wasn’t going to accept that it was the end of it.”

State managed to keep the game tight despite shooting only 38.2 percent for the game and a mere 30 percent in the first half. Late in the game, however, the team ratcheted up the defensive pressure and denied Wake good looks at the basket.

Feeding off the defense, the Pack shot 48 percent in the second half, including a blistering 6-for-10 from the 3-point line. Grant led State with 17 points, while Hickson recorded his fourth straight double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds.

Lowe said the outcome of the game was a reflection of the team’s character and will to win.

“When we want it and we concentrate, we play well,” Lowe said. “We’ve been working on our mental game — not breaking down and making mistakes — to help us win. We make games exciting.”

By the numbers6 3-pointers by State in the second half6 assists for freshman point guard Javier Gonzalez9 missed free throws on 26 attempts for the Pack9 turnovers for each team17 points, a team-high for Gavin GrantSource: Wake Forest Athletics