Sophomore forward Gavin Grant’s three-pointer with 11:53 left in the second half against host Miami last night gave No. 16 N.C. State a 51-36 lead, but that was the last time things were so lopsided in the Wolfpack’s 86-77 double-overtime victory.
From there, Hurricane guards Robert Hite, Anthony Harris and Guillermo Diaz combined to score 27 of their team’s next 29 points as State’s lead slowly but surely dwindled down the stretch.
With 17 seconds left in regulation and the Pack leading 64-63, junior guard Engin Atsur had a chance to give the visitors a three-point lead. Instead, he missed the first free throw and made the second for a 65-63 lead. A mere eight seconds later with nine seconds left in regulation, Diaz made a layup on the other end to tie the game 65-65.
The game went into the first overtime after sophomore center Cedric Simmons missed a layup in the final seconds.
Each team scored 10 points in the first extra period, forcing a second overtime.
It was the second double overtime game for State in the last two weeks, the other coming in a 94-85 win at Clemson on Jan. 29.
In the second bonus frame, the Pack scored the first five points. Those points came on a three-pointer by senior forward Ilian Evtimov and a two-point basket by Simmons, and State never looked back winning 86-77.
Senior guard Cameron Bennerman led the victory with 23 points, and Evtimov added 16. Grant scored 13 points, and Simmons pitched in 12.
Hite led Miami with 22 points while Diaz and Harris added 18 and 15, respectively.
The Pack are now 8-2 in the ACC and 19-4 overall. It is the best conference start for State since a 9-2 start to ACC play in 2004, and the Pack’s five-game winning streak matches its five-game winning streak from 2004.
The Hurricanes dropped to 14-9 overall and 6-4 in ACC play.
State’s next game is 1 p.m. Sunday at Georgia Tech.
Source: CSTV, N.C. State Athletics