N.C. State jumped out to an early double-digit lead for the second time in a week, but this time the Wolfpack (14-2, 3-1) were able to rally late with help from the crowd and big plays late in the game to win 87-78 Saturday.
A week earlier, State got off to an 11-0 lead against North Carolina, but faltered late in the game as the Tar Heels went on a 13-0 run to finish the game — defeating the Pack 82-69.
State started hot Saturday against Georgia Tech at the RBC Center, as it led 12-2 four minutes into the game.
However, at halftime the lead vanished as the Yellow Jackets led 41-40. Along with losing the lead, sophomore center Cedric Simmons played only 11 minutes due to two fouls.
“That is what I thought about toward the beginning of the game,” Simmons said. “The score was really similar at the start and once again they started scoring and making a run just like the Carolina game. I also got in foul trouble just like the other game.”
After starting the second half on a 13-2 run, State lost another 10-point lead as Tech went on a run of its own, scoring 18 of the next 25 points and leading again, this time 61-60.
With less than eight minutes to go, it was the Pack’s turn to make the plays late in the game.
Simmons threw down a thunderous dunk to give State a one-point lead, the Pack would not trail again.
Coach Herb Sendek said the dunk got the crowd into the game.
“I thought our crowd was terrific when we got to about the six-minute mark,” Sendek said. “They really came alive and I thought that really gave us a shot in the arm down the home stretch.”
Sophomore forward Andrew Brackman said the crowd was the difference maker.
“We came out in both halves and got a really big lead,” Brackman said. “We got a big lead in the first half against Carolina and we let both of them slip away. This time our crowd was behind us and they helped us gut it through and get the win.”
Following the dunk, the Pack hit back-to-back threes, one by Engin Atsur and the other by Tony Bethel.
Shortly after another pair of threes by Cameron Bennerman and Bethel, Brackman closed the door with a two-handed put back dunk.
The two dunks and four threes highlighted a 27-17 finish in the final eight minutes of the game.
Senior forward Ilian Evtimov said the ACC will bring close games, but in order to win, State will need to make plays at the end of the game.
“We know that a lot of games are going to come down to the last four minutes,” Evtimov said. “I think tonight we showed a lot of maturity and played the way we should be playing.”
Evtimov, who was one of six players to score in double figures Saturday, said the team took a lot away from the game against the Tar Heels.
“We learned a good lesson from the Carolina game,” Evtimov said. “The veteran players know that we stepped up today — unlike Carolina, where we didn’t play the way we should have at the end of the game. We didn’t want it to happen again.”
Some State fans behind Tech’s bench spent the majority of the game picking on Theodis Tarver. Tarver, who was ruled academically ineligible at the beginning of the week, was reinstated before the game.
During the final minute, Tech coach Paul Hewitt exchanged words with the fans that were picking on Tarver.
“I reacted poorly,” Hewitt said. “Theo has been going through a really tough time and I thought there were some things said that didn’t need to be said, but I reacted very poorly and I apologize for my actions.”
Simmons said many factors played into State pulling away at the end of the game, but he said there was only one difference between Saturday’s game and the Carolina game.
“The game was similar, but this time we scored in the last three minutes,” Simmons said.
