The NC State Wolfpack defeated the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, 81-80, in Atlanta after redshirt junior guard Trevor Lacey hit a game-winning three-pointer just before time expired in overtime.
The Wolfpack jumped out to a 14-point advantage early in the game, but the Yellow Jackets answered, as the team chipped away at the lead to make it a nine-point game at halftime.
Sophomore guard Anthony “Cat” Barber, who put up 18 points, led the Pack’s scoring effort in the first half. Barber was 4-5 from the three-point line and ended the game with a team-high 23 points and seven assists.
Georgia Tech shrunk State’s lead by crashing the boards. The Jackets had 49 total rebounds, 22 of them on the offensive side. This was a major advantage compared to the Wolfpack’s 31 rebounds with only seven on the offensive end of the court.
As the Pack got out rebounded and continually missed free throws, Tech took the opportunity to come back and take the lead late in the second half. The Pack shot only 58 percent from the free throw line compared to Georgia Tech’s 81 percent.
State’s tremendous shooting percentages kept the team in the game. As a team, the Wolfpack shot 48 percent from the floor and 45.5 percent from beyond the arc compared to Georgia Tech’s 39.7 percent from the floor and 29 percent from beyond the three-point line.
The Pack was able to fight back and force the game into overtime. However, starting freshman forward Abdul-Malik Abu wasn’t able to compete due to fouling out in the second half. Before he was disqualified, he totaled seven points, five rebounds and a blocked shot.
In overtime the Pack found themselves down by two points with Georgia Tech on the free throw line. After both free throws were missed, freshman forward Cody Martin grabbed the rebound and gave the ball to Lacey with a precise outlet pass. Lacey’s pull up three-point shot was reminiscent of the shot he took against Wofford. However, this shot wasn’t overturned and the Pack was able to get the win.
The game was a must-win for the Pack, as the team had dropped its past three games. When the time comes for the NCAA tournament committee to decide who makes the big dance, a loss to a struggling Georgia Tech team could have been a deciding factor.
“It was very important,” Lacey said. “We’re just trying to turn it around and get this winning spirit back under us, build on it and keep moving forward.”
Upcoming on the schedule are matchups against tough conference opponents in Virginia, Louisville, Syracuse and North Carolina. With only eight games left to build a tournament-quality resume, the Pack will need to build off of this win to gain momentum before entering the ACC tournament.
The Pack’s next game will be in Winston-Salem against Wake Forest on Tuesday at 8 p.m. The Demon Deacons have had a disappointing season thus far, going (2-7) in conference play with an overall record of (10-12).
