When coach Sidney Lowe exited the court Saturday after an 83-79 win over No. 3 North Carolina, a group of former N.C. State players — including Tommy Burleson, David Thompson and “Hawkeye” Whitney — approached him in the back halls of the RBC Center.
What ensued was an illustration of the tradition and family Lowe has stated was important to him and the entire State “family” as Burleson, Thompson and Whitney hugged and congratulated Lowe for his victory over the Tar Heels in his first meeting with them since taking the position in May.
That sense of tradition and family is something that Lowe said made the upset of North Carolina so special to more than just the team.
“I told our kids that this is more than just a win for us, it is a win for a lot of people,” Lowe said. “I’m glad we were fortunate enough to play well enough to win this game.”
Lowe, who last competed against the Tar Heels in the 1983 semifinals of the ACC tournament as a player at State, acknowledged that the victory was just a win, but it was a “big” win.
“I have never shied away from the matchup — the rivalry of the three schools down here,” Lowe said. “It’s not something that I made up. This was here long before me, and when I got here, they told me this was a big game. And I believed them. I don’t see it ever changing.”
State’s defeat of North Carolina, who had won six straight games against the Pack prior to the contest, was the result of a complete team effort and a “special” offensive performance, according to Lowe.
Lowe said he had been a part of several gifted offensive teams, including the Detroit Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves, but had never been a part of a team that executed as well as the Wolfpack did on Saturday.
“Just sticking with it, that is the thing that was so impressive today,” Lowe said. “When the pressure was there, we continued to run it [the offense], we continued to set the screens and stay patient until we got the shot we wanted.”
State shot 60.5 percent from the field for the game, including 76.5 percent in the second half, when it made 13-of-17 shots.
All five starters for the Wolfpack finished the game in double-figures, including sophomore forward Ben McCauley who shot a perfect six-for-six from the field for 17 points despite playing only 28 minutes due to foul trouble.
McCauley said the difference in the game was State’s superior desire to win.
“We wanted it more than they did,” McCauley said. “We have been working hard all week, and we just wanted to come out here and make a statement that we can win some big games. We played like we wanted it, and we got it.”
With several players contributing to the victory, Lowe said no performance was more crucial to the outcome of the game than the performance of senior guard Engin Atsur.
Atsur, who has been limited this season due to a hamstring injury, finished the game with a double-double with 12 points and a game-high 10 assists.
“He was outstanding,” Lowe said. “You saw when he came out how we just didn’t have the same leadership and direction, but you could tell when he was in there he had everything under control, made all the right decisions and got people in position. We don’t win that game without him out there.”
Also instrumental in the victory was the performance of sophomore guard Courtney Fells, who turned in a complete performance with a team-high and career-high 21 points, three blocks and two steals.
Fells also shot 4-for-5 on 3-pointers, including one with 3:12 left in the game that pushed State’s lead to 76-71.
What ensued when the clock reached zero was something McCauley said was amazing, as hundreds of excited students and fans rushed the court in celebration of the upset victory.
“I watch that on TV all the time. I see big upsets and I think to myself, ‘Man, that would be great to be a part of that someday.’ And we were today,” McCauley said.
“I was looking around for my family, and there were so many people out there. It was kind of tough to find them, but sure enough I found them at the end. And it was a special moment.”
