In the early season, this was the team that couldn’t win in regulation. Recently, the Wolfpack has become known for getting tired in the second half and giving up late leads. Last night, it was the team that survived a late scare and overcame a Wake Forest squad that was formerly ranked No. 1 in the nation.
Though many in the Triangle were focused on the other big game taking place at Cameron Indoor Stadium, and the Wolfpack-Demon Deacons game wasn’t televised, those who attended were treated to arguably State’s most complete game of the season.
“A win cures everything,” coach Sidney Lowe said. “There were two tired teams out there, but we endured and got through it.”
Victory-starved N.C. State fans rushed the court after the final buzzer sounded, congratulating their team on a hard-fought victory.
“I think teams are going to start respecting us,” point guard Javi Gonzalez said. “We should have a winning record in the ACC. We’ve been there every single game, close enough to win the game but we just haven’t been able to pull it off.”
The win came three days after State blew a double-digit lead in an overtime loss to Virginia Tech. The Pack is now 3-6 in conference play.
“We played well last game against Virginia Tech, but we didn’t close the game,” senior Courtney Fells said. “We kind of got the same situation tonight, but we were able to save the game by knocking down a few free throws.”
Redshirt junior Farnold Degand fired off two three-pointers in quick succession early in the second half, and State jumped out to a 12-point lead.
The Pack was forced to grind it out, earning 23 points from the free throw line, while Wake Forest was released break after easy break. The Demon Deacons received 26 points off the fast break.
“We changed up our defense and ran everything at them to keep them off balance,” Lowe said. “Wake Forest does a great job of running their offense, so we tried to play great team defense.”
Lowe spoke after the Carolina game about finding the hot player, but that wasn’t a concern tonight. Everyone played well collectively. Brandon Costner led the way with 23 points, building on a good first half and exploding in the second. Tracy Smith was everywhere, snagging a game-high 12 rebounds, including 10 offensive boards.
“He made some unbelievable plays tonight,” Lowe said of Smith. “His recognition is getting better. He’s learning the game a little more and that’s making it easier for him.”
Ben McCauley, whom Lowe said was sick and almost sat out, was the only starter who had a truly off night. McCauley finished with an uncharacteristic five points and five rebounds.
State went into the second half with an eight-point lead, but Lowe had to shift his line-up around to compensate for Wake Forest’s relentless pressure. He played three guards in the second half to add a little more speed, and the gamble paid off.
“They were trying to speed us up, and we wanted to continue to attack,” Lowe said. “We had to have another ball-handler out there to keep pace.”
State led by 20 in the second half, but the Pack wasn’t about to let the clock run out without giving its fans a mild heart attack. Wake whittled away at that 20-point lead until it became a two-point lead, but McCauley and Gonzalez went to the free throw line and gave State a more comfortable cushion.
“We deserved to win but we gave it away, and that’s been our problem all season,” Costner said. “We didn’t let another one slip away, like on Sunday.”
