Tarheels Outlast Pack 81-79

Notch this one up as another barn burner in the heated rivalry between familiar foes. NC State was unable to get over the hump as they tried mightily to overcome a 12 point deficit with 5 mins remaining in the second half. The rally was one of epic proportions with plenty of thrilling moments that brought a ruckus crowd to their feet. Ralston Turner hit big shot after big shot late in the game to bring the Pack back; however, Marcus Paige was there to silence the crowd. Paige turned in a dandy scoring 23 points on 5-5 shooting from distance and added 9 assists on the night.

The Wolfpack struggled to stop UNC’s front court as they were able to out play our big men. Kennedy Meeks, Isaiah Hicks, and Brice Johnson tormented our bigs on the offensive end. The trio combined for 37 points while shooting a sizzling 63% from the field. As a team UNC shot 55% from the field and 62% from three. The Wolfpack on the other hand struggled offensively managing to shoot 44% from the field and 31% from three. Make no doubt about it UNC used outstanding ball pressure to make life difficult for the Pack. JP Tokoto used his outstanding length and athleticism to give Trevor Lacey problems early. Trevor still tallied 19 points but 10 of these came from the foul line.

Even though the Pack fell short there were plenty of positives to be gleaned from the game. We didn’t quit! Our guys fought through a physical defensive team and found ways to score. It wasn’t always pretty but the Pack found a way to score 79 points despite an off shooting night. UNC is one of the top rebounding teams in the NCAA, yet the Pack out-rebounded them and grabbed 18 offensive boards. Execution was spotty tonight but I was pleased with our situational plays. Coach Gottfried and his Staff drew up some beautiful plays towards the end that were run to perfection. A couple of great screens freed Ralston which gave him clean looks that he was able to convert.

With .2 seconds left Abu found himself at the foul line with the team down 3. Abu makes the first free throw. On his second attempt he shoots a soft miss off the left side of the rim where Cody Martin flies in…Only to miss the tip-in that would of sent the game into overtime. Make no mistake about it that this team is getting better. I really like the resiliency our guys play with. I also love the fact that our guys are holding each other accountable.

Throughout the game I watched as every single one of our guys pulled one another aside to talk about where they should be on the court. This sight is a great sign as it proves that the players are buying into what the coaches are telling them. This is the reason why our team has been putting together much more consistent effort and getting results.

With the loss NC State finds its’ self at 12-6 and 3-2 in the ACC. The next couple of games are extremely important as the Pack needs to win to keep pace in the ACC.

NC State will hit the road this Saturday as they travel down to Tallahassee to face FSU. The game is slated for a 1:30 start and can be seen on ACCN/Raycom