In a must win situation, NC State did what they couldn’t do a few weeks ago and knocked off Syracuse.

TJ Warren led his team with 28 points and 8 boards, while senior Jordan Vandenberg had the game of his career. Vandy finished 5-5 with 10 points and 5 boards and helped keep the Orange off balance in the lane.

This win gives NC State a very real shot at playing in the NCAA tournament and gives them a matchup with either Clemson or Duke tomorrow. Before we get into all that, however, let’s break down how the Pack was able to upset #11 Syracuse.

TJ Warren at it again

You could see it in his eyes. TJ Warren wasn’t going home without a W. He knew this team was capable, but he knew he needed to have a big game….so he did.

Warren scored 28 points on 9-21 shooting and really willed the Wolfpack to this win. While they needed everyone of his buckets, what he did on defense maybe be even more impressive. CJ Fair had scored 50 points over his 2 previous games and was really leading the Orange offense. Against State Fair had only 9 points on 3-16 shooting and it was all because of the quality job TJ Warren did.

How this kid doesn’t get tired is beyond me. He works tirelessly to get open on offense, pushes himself to give that extra burst when he makes his move to the hoop and throws his body around like he’s invincible, then on the other end he’s guarding the oppositions most versatile player and usually shutting them down. Fair couldn’t get anything going. Warren was too long for him to get clean looks, he was too quick for Fair to get by him off the dribble, he was completely in shut down mode and took the Orange best player out of the game.

Warren showed up huge on both ends of the floor in this one and by the looks of it…he’s not done yet.

Jordan Vandenberg Plays the Perfect Game
I’m so happy for the guy. Years of waiting, but finally it’s his time and on the biggest stage he played his biggest game.

Vandy finished with 10 points of 5-5 shooting, grabbed 5 boards and was an enforcer in the paint. He was in the right place at the right time all night long, finishing dunks, knocking down jumpers and dishing out some great passes.

I actually can’t think of a mistake that Jordan made tonight…this was his perfect game.

Defense that just won’t quit
This team went on lockdown mode against Syracuse. With all the talk about the Syracuse zone and how hard it is to score against, State was actually the game that looked like the defensive masterminds. They held the Orange to only 32% from the field. Now, this is a team that shoots 43%. It’s also a team that rebounds like animals, however State held them in check, only getting out-rebounded by 3 (36-33).

Tyler Ennis and Jerami Grant did everything in their power to keep Syracuse in this game, but it wasn’t enough. The Wolfpack defense was swarming and relentless all night long.

Point Guard Production
Cat Barber played great once again. Sure, he did get a little loose with the basketball (4 TOs), but he was a big reason that the Pack won this game. He dished out 6 big assists and had 2 huge steals to go with 4 points. Barber was able to get into the zone and find the open man. He was great on the break and he is starting to become a true PG. His defense on Ennis was also impressive. While Syracuse PG did drop 21 points, Barber did a great job of making it hard for him to get open looks.

Tyler Lewis also played a very strong game. Early on Lewis was the only offense State could muster outside of Warren. His two 3’s in the first half were huge. He finished with 7 points, 2 assists and one TO.

The highlights:

And for anyone who has ever questioned Gottfried, please take a look at this interview. This man cares about his players, he cares about this school….

and…the heart-attack inducing finale