The way the first half of N.C. State's game against Virginia Tech played out Sunday, you'd be excused for thinking the Wolfpack were on the heels of Duke and North Carolina in the ACC. But as has been typical of N.C. State all season, they couldn't hold a lead in the second half and let Virginia Tech claw its way into overtime and an 91-87 win.This was essentially a must-win game for both teams, but particularly for the Hokies, who rebounded from a so-so non-conference performance into a spot on the happy side of the NCAA tournament bubble and are in the mix for a possible ACC tournament bye . The Wolfpack, meanwhile, were merely trying to eke out their third consecutive ACC win and move within two games of .500 in the ACC.
N.C. State led 49-35 at the half, but went stone cold in the second as the Hokies stormed back before putting the Pack away in overtime.
A.D. Vassallo led the way for Virginia Tech, scoring 24 points, pulling down seven rebounds and draining the game-tying shot near the end of regulation, a difficult look over Courtney Fells. Most importantly, he hit four straight free throws down the stretch to put the Wolfpack away
Ben McCauley was State's best answer on the offensive end, scoring 25 with 15 boards. Sidney Lowe called McCauley's number on an attempted game winner with just a few seconds left, but the big man got mugged on an uncalled foul while making his move towards the hoop. (And, in the swallow-your-whistle file, McCauley likely travelled, uncalled, as well.)
All told, it was another painful example of N.C. State's inability to complete a full game. The Pack's offense almost never clicks well enough to pour 50 points in during a half and it sums up the team's season to see N.C. State flounder its way to 27 in the second half.
Part of that appears to be a lack of talent -- this isn't an upper tier ACC team regardless of who's in charge. The other issue appeared, at least today, to be Lowe's willingness to let the the Wolfpack try and burn clock in the second half, hoping to hold off the Hokies for just long enough.
The crazy thing is that Virginia Tech, even as streaky as they've been, is now in an excellent position to make a run in the ACC.Following a Wake Forest win over Boston College today, the Hokies in a four-way tie for second place in the ACC, behind Duke and North Carolina. And with a nice stretch of Georgia Tech, Maryland and Virginia in the next week and a half, the Hokies are poised to make a move.
