TAMPA, Fla. – As senior guard Bryan Nieman released the ball for his first three pointer against Virginia on Friday night, two people sitting in Section 130, row C, started praying.

“I’m thinking ‘Oh God, please let it go in. Please let it go in,'” Doug Nieman, Bryan’s father, said. “It was nothing but net.”

And as Doug Nieman, flanked to the left by his son Addison, watched the three pointer fall through the net, the walk-on-turned-scholarship-player Bryan sparked the run that fueled N.C. State’s 79-71 win over No.2-seed Virginia in the ACC Tournament in St. Pete Times Forum. He finished the game with six points and three rebounds in 21 minutes.

“He’s living a dream. You can’t argue with that,” Doug Nieman said. “We are just elated. It’s just so much fun, watching him have fun. He’s playing basketball in the best conference in the country. You can’t argue with that.”

The 6-foot-6 senior started his college career playing for Winthrop and then transferred to Gulf Coast Community College before walking on under former coach Herb Sendek in 2005. After the game, he echoed his father’s sentiments.

“I’m living a dream. I don’t know if I’m an inspiration to all walk-ons. This is definitely something I grew up thinking I wanted to do,” he said. “I’m definitely fulfilling a dream…It’s above and beyond what I could have expected.”

Nieman laughed after the game when it came up that he might not have even been on Virginia’s scouting report.

“I don’t think about that kind of stuff, but if I had to guess, I would guess that I’m not,” Nieman said.

He spent most of his time in the first half guarding pre-season All-American guard Sean Singletary. That match up, the father admitted, was a challenge for Nieman.

“Well, I was thinking how quick [Singletary] was, but I knew Bryan had some height,” Doug Nieman said. “I knew that Bryan was going to have to work, and he did. He stuck with him.”

Nevertheless, Nieman said he never doubted his ability as a shooter during the game.

“I know I’m a better shooter than what the percentages say. When you get open like that, you have to take them,” he said.