NC State basketball survives scare from Notre Dame, 85-82
NC State basketball has reached a portion of the schedule where they face potential pitfalls in building their case to receive a NCAA Tournament bid. The first test was passed, but not without a scare before prevailing, 85-82.
The Wolfpack trailed 42-39 at halftime to Notre Dame, who is off to a 1-8 start in the ACC. But NC State started the second half on a 10-4 run, taking the lead for good when star sophomore guard Terquavion Smith made his first shot in his return to the court after being hospitalized following a fall Saturday at North Carolina. Smith’s three-pointer put the Pack up 47-46.
But despite having the advantage for the final 16:38 of the contest, NC State never could rest easy. Notre Dame cut the lead down to a single point at 69-68 and on four other occasions was within a pair.
The last push from the Irish came when freshman guard J.J. Starling made a pair of free throws with 1:51 left, trimming the advantage to a one-possession game at 76-73. Notre Dame senior guard Cormac Ryan had been a hot shooter most of the evening, making his first 5 three-pointers, but he missed a potential game-tying three from the corner.
Following a NC State timeout, the Wolfpack went inside to fifth-year senior post player D.J. Burns Jr., who backed his way in for a short shot with a minute left. Two missed free throws from Notre Dame senior guard Marcus Hammond with 45.5 seconds remaining helped seal the Irish’s fate.
NC State super senior guard Jarkel Joiner went 6 for 6 at the line to help seal the victory.
Joiner finished with a game-high 28 points, and he led the Wolfpack with 6 rebounds. Smith struggled shooting, making just 2 of 14 shots (2 of 9 on three-pointers), but he went 11 of 13 at the line to have 17 points and added a game-high 6 assists. Joiner and Smith also spearheaded an offense that tied a NC State basketball record for fewest turnovers in a game with just two.
Burns finished with 14 points, and his backup, junior center Ebenezer Dowuona added a valuable contribution off the bench with 7 points and 3 blocked shots.
NC State improved to 16-5 overall and 6-4 in the ACC with the win, while Notre Dame falls to 9-12 and 1-9. The victory will not count for much in terms of postseason hopes for the Pack. Notre Dame’s low NET rating (No. 192) amounts to being a Quad 4 contest for the Wolfpack.
However, Saturday represents a big opportunity. NC State travels to Wake Forest for one of three remaining Quad 1 games on the Wolfpack schedule. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. in Winston-Salem, and the game will be televised on ACC Network.
