NC State hosted its first-round NIT game at James T. Valvano Arena in Reynolds Coliseum Tuesday night, and it gave the matchup a special energy. From the opening tip, the crowd was into the game, and the intensity only went up as the second-seeded Wolfpack clawed its way to an 84-78 victory over the seventh-seeded Hofstra Pride, earning head coach Kevin Keatts’ first postseason victory at NC State.
“They had a sixth man,” said Hofstra head coach Joe Mihalich. “Great fans, great atmosphere, [the crowd] had to be worth 10 points. You’ve got to give credit to the fans for making it a tough place to play. I thought our kids played their hearts out.”
After burying the referees following a technical on junior guard Markell Johnson in the first half, the crowd made its presence most felt in the second half each time Hofstra went on a run or took the lead.
The Wolfpack faithful rained down cheers for baskets, chanted “defense” during key possessions and let the referees have all its ire when a call went Hofstra’s way. Not even Hofstra’s cheerleaders were safe, as they caught boos during their timeout routines.
“We have some of the best fans in the country,” said redshirt senior guard Torin Dorn. “Any time we get to play, and play in front of them, it’s big for us. Big for our team, big for the city of Raleigh, big for our families. It’s definitely fun to play in Reynolds.”
Reynolds Coliseum seats 5,000 people, barely more than a quarter of the capacity of PNC Arena, and the tight atmosphere makes everything much louder, as the court is within spitting distance of the crowd.
The coliseum is a renowned venue, and though it’s been remodeled and refurbished, one can still feel its history in the air. It’s fitting that the Wolfpack survived and advanced in an arena named after the late, great James T. Valvano, who brought a national championship to Raleigh.
“The smartest thing NC State did was host the game here,” Mihalich said. “I’m sure there’s a lot of old-timers that just want to be back in this building. I just saw Derrick Whittenberg downstairs, and I said ‘How’d you ever lose a game here?’ And he said, ‘We didn’t.’ It’s a great place to play, it’s got the charm, it’s got a great feel to it. The crowd played into the win.”
Tuesday’s win makes NC State 2-0 this year at Reynolds, and the women’s team is 45-6 at home since the renovations. Keatts has taken notice of the incredible home-court advantage the building provides.
“Our fanbase is tremendous,” Keatts said. “When you look at the excitement in this building today, our fanbase is incredible. Without them, I don’t know that we’d get the win. As you know, this is an electric building, it’s a special building. To get a postseason win in this building means so much. I’ve got to talk to [Athletic Director Debbie] Yow about scheduling more games here.”
Yow, in the room, had an answer.
“Can’t afford to,” Yow said, earning a chuckle from the room.
*Editors note: This story was updated to correct the number of championships James T. Valvano won.
