State loses to Miami (Sunday Morning Update: Headlines)

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States loses to Miami 79-78, once again, on a last-second tip-in.

State led 76-71 with 1:31 remaining but then turned the ball over on consecutive possessions and missed the front end of a one-and-one and then a jumper in the final minute, which gave Miami the chance to win on its final possession. Which they did on a tip-in off a missed jumper with a little over a second remaining.

State has now lost its four league games by a combined nine points, and finds itself facing some trouble at 5-4 (5th place), with a Thursday 9pm game at Cameron looming.

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HEADLINES

Bret Strelow (FayObserver.com)
Grieving Tyler Lewis gives N.C. State some inspired play

Sitting in his Statesville home Saturday, watching his inspired son assume a leading role for short-handed N.C. State, Rick Lewis shed tears and cheered enthusiastically with the toughest man he knows.

His 82-year-old father.

Clennon Lewis was shot in the ear and leg during the Korean War, and he survived a helicopter crash in Vietnam because the aircraft landed in a body of water. He’s had two triple bypass surgeries, the first in 1975, the next 21 years later, and he hasn’t let prostate cancer or several aneurysms defeat him.

So when Clennon chatted with his grief-stricken grandson on the phone late Friday night and asked him to play Saturday, what choice did Tyler Lewis really have other than to say he would?

At about 8 p.m. on Friday, four days shy of her 84th birthday, Margie Lewis died at Iredell Memorial Hospital, where she was being treated for pneumonia. Tyler lost his grandmother, Rick his mother, Clennon his wife of 61 years.

Urged to remain in Raleigh, Tyler nearly directed the Wolfpack to a dramatic win over ACC-leading Miami. A freshman reserve who had totaled 38 minutes in the first eight league games, he posted 16 points and five assists with only one turnover in 36 minutes of a 79-78 loss.

Tyler played most of his high school career at Forsyth Country Day, but another Winston-Salem product, Miami’s Reggie Johnson, stole the spotlight by scoring on a go-ahead tip-in with 0.8 seconds left.

“I knew what I had to do out there,” Tyler said. “I had to prove (myself) to all the people that hadn’t seen me play this year. After this, I think I proved a lot of people wrong.”

That’s exactly what Clennon expected from his grandson.

Omega Wolf (BackingthePack.com)
Second Half Swoon

If there is a silver lining in N. C. State’s last-second, tip-in loss to Miami, the Pack’s second such loss on the season, it is the emergence of Tyler Lewis, who had 16 points to go along with a 5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio while spelling the injured Lorenzo Brown. In seven of N. C. State’s nine ACC games the Pack’s opponent has scored at least 56.9% of its points in the second half; this fact strongly suggests that the Pack’s thin bench is causing a gassed squad to give up an abnormally high total of second-half points, thus also losing leads late in games. Lewis’s contribution against Miami may give Mark Gottfried enough faith in the freshman point guard to give him significant minutes even after Brown’s return, boosting the thin rotation and perhaps helping the Pack stave off the second half swoon.

The most egregious example of State’s collapsing trend is the game against Wake Forest; Wake put up 51 points against the Pack after intermission. The half is the Deacons’ highest scoring 20-minute session of the season and accounted for 59.3% of their scoring for the game. Wake’s second-half surge allowed it to erase a 12-point halftime deficit and win by two.

The Hurricanes put up 45 second-half points to erase a six-point halftime deficit and win by one. Miami scored 57% of its points in the second half, and Miami’s after-intermission output was its sixth best scoring half of the season overall and second best in 16 halves of ACC play.

Caulton Tudor (N&O)
Wolfpack could emerge a better team

The best ACC basketball game of the season to this point ended Saturday in the PNC Arena with N.C. State losing a battle, but possibly winning a war.

Thanks to a game-winning, follow tip-in by Reggie Johnson in the final second, Miami (17-3, 8-0 ACC) left with a 79-78 win over the Wolfpack (16-6, 5-4).

But with Wolfpack point guard Lorenzo Brown sidelined by an injury, freshman Tyler Lewis came through with a performance that looked a lot more like Bobby Hurley than the seldom-used reserve N.C. State fans had seen in previous games.

“We’re a better team after tonight,” said fellow freshman Rodney Purvis, whose 70-foot desperation shot at the final horn almost changed the outcome.

“The way Tyler played in this game, we have to feel so great about our chances. He was amazing.”

Lewis, lightly recruited and lowly regarded by almost everyone except Wolfpack assistant coach Bob Lutz, finished with 16 points, five assists, only one turnover and two rebounds in 36 minutes.

Immediately after the game, Lewis left to join his family in mourning for his grandmother, Margie Lewis, who died Friday in Statesville.

Joe Giglio (N&O)
Three Points: Effort, endgame solutions and Tyler Lewis

1) What it takes

N.C. State played with a palpable intensity and desperation on Saturday in a game, arguably for the first time all season, it wasn’t supposed to win. These two points are obviously connected.

N.C. State should be, as coach Mark Gottfried put it, heartbroken after Reggie Johnson’s tip-in with 0.8 seconds left gave Miami a 79-78 win but the Wolfpack should not be discouraged.

John Wooden espoused prioritizing the process over the results and this was that type of game for N.C. State. The result doesn’t diminish the effort. Sometimes you lose because the other team makes the last play and sometimes you lose but you learn about the effort and passion it takes to win.

There’s the potential for the latter for N.C. State from Saturday’s loss. To put it another way, if N.C. State had played with that intensity and purpose against Maryland or Wake Forest, it would be sitting at 7-2 in the ACC standings today, instead of 5-4.

The good part about learning such lessons is the earlier in the season you do, the better off you are. This game, an instant classic, felt like March and was played at high level. N.C. State was not capable of playing a game like this in November (see: Michigan). That’s the first step, now it must take another step and prove it can win a game like this.

The lesson comes too late to help N.C. State win this ACC regular-season title, but it could potentially serve the Wolfpack well in Greensboro and beyond.

Brett Friedlander (starnewsonline.com)
Final possession becomes a recurring Groundhog Day nightmare for N.C. State

It’s ironically fitting that the game was played on Groundhog Day, because just like Bill Murray in the movie of the same name N.C. State’s basketball misfortune became a recurring a recurring nightmare Saturday.

Two-and-a-half weeks ago at Maryland, Alex Len took advantage of a long rebound and the lack of a box out to tip in the basket that beat the Wolfpack with less than a second left.

This time the culprit was Miami’s Reggie Johnson.

In a play so similar that only Punxsutawney Phil could truly appreciate it, Johnson tipped in a Shane Larkin miss with 0.8 seconds remaining to give the Hurricanes a 79-78 victory at PNC Arena.

The dramatic – and familiar – finish spoiled an inspired effort by backup point guard Tyler Lewis while dropping preseason ACC favorite State four full games behind unbeaten Miami in the league standings.

The Wolfpack has now lost four ACC games, to Maryland, Wake Forest, Virginia and now Miami, by a combined total of seven points.

“But this one,” freshman guard Rodney Purvis said, “seemed to hurt more.

“Don’t get me wrong, every game is equal. But I hate to lose at home in front of our fans. This would have been a huge win. It would have made a mark for us, not having (injured point guard Lorenzo Brown) in.”

Andrew Jones (FoxSportsCarolinas.com)
Miami’s comeback gives fans a classic

Either team could have won, and quite frankly, this was a rare case in which both squads deserved to win. But the older, wiser club prevailed.

“Experience is a word we hear a lot — a lot of people comment on our age. But it’s been very valuable for us,” Miami forward Julian Gamble said. “Me being a sixth-year senior and being in the ACC for as long as I have and going through the things I’ve gone through, and with D. Scott being here for four years and having the amount of experience, he has really helped us.

“It helped us stay poised and helped us stay calm.”

The ebb and flow of the game included a series of adjustments made by both coaching staffs. Initially, Miami’s maturity, which includes four senior starters and a senior as the first man off the bench, knocked State back a bit. But once Lewis entered the game and gained confidence after making a few plays, the rest of the Pack caught his contagious vibe and picked up their play.

WRALSportsfan.com
Purvis: This one seemed to hurt more

NC State guard Rodney Purvis said that after their fourth ACC loss by three points or less, the one to Miami hurt more because it was at home.

WRALSportsfan.com
Lewis: I had to take advantage of the opportunity

NC State guard Tyler Lewis scored 16 points in a loss to Miami Saturday and afterwards said he was just trying to take advantage of an opportunity.

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118 Responses to State loses to Miami (Sunday Morning Update: Headlines)

  1. WeAreCured 02/02/2013 at 7:27 PM #

    One last time before I leave for the evening…

    @ Cameron Indoor: We will win.

    Start the mantra, people. Let the positive vibes flow!

  2. elvislives 02/02/2013 at 7:29 PM #

    Fact update: Miami fans suck donkey balls (I apologize if your 6 year old is reading this blog).

    I see the positives from this game as they relate to the team’s rotation development. It just sucks to lose yet another one possession conference game in the same fashion as a previous heartbreaking loss.

    Here’s to your infinite wisdom/optimism/faith that this helps the Pack in the long run. I will continue to watch/hope/believe that the coaching staff uses these losses to teach the young players how to win in the future.

    But a sound execution of an end-game performance would go a long way to supporting my delusion.

  3. GoState91 02/02/2013 at 7:33 PM #

    Crushing loss. Miami is a very good team but the game was ours and we found a way to let it slip away. It would not be as tough to accept if we could have taken care of MD, WAKE, and UVA. The team showed a lot of heart for 38 minutes but choked at the end. What are the coaches telling the guys during these end of close game timeouts? We NEVER seem to execute at the end. I can’t believe we have fallen to 5-4 in ACC and behind the UNCheats. Most likely out of the top 25. The next 2 games have become critical and they are both on the road. I hope we can finish strong and make the NCAA. Otherwise a lost season. We have too much talent to be struggling in a weak ACC. Crushing loss.

  4. john of sparta 02/02/2013 at 7:38 PM #

    good news: no ref complaints.
    bad news: no boxing out.
    good: point guard.
    bad: handling a lead.
    good: lost to better team.
    bad: we need to be that better team.

  5. BJD95 02/02/2013 at 7:38 PM #

    Part of it is also likely that I expected to lose today, perhaps even get killed.

    But more than anything…basketball is a tournament sport. I do not believe we are off track for a solid berth, and a reasonable seed (5 or 6). We are building better depth, learning how to compete without a key player. Building chemistry and character.

    These are all good things. Sure, would have been better win a win. But keep it in perspective. March still awaits. Zo will come back. We still only have one bad loss this year.

    Now…if we lose to Clemson next weekend…then I will be alarmed.

    Barring that, I am keeping my head up, and hope the team and coaching staff are as well. Can’t let heartbreak start a downward spiral.

  6. TeufelWolf 02/02/2013 at 7:39 PM #

    Maybe now we can ALL agree to stop calling him WBS.

  7. BJD95 02/02/2013 at 7:46 PM #

    WBS is a term of endearment, not an insult.

  8. ADVENTUROO 02/02/2013 at 7:50 PM #

    CardiaLack,
    Not to be a $marta$$, but we play four of our scholarhip players 34 – 37 minutes per game. Rodney and T. J. put in 25 – 27 EACH per game. We rarely, in the past, have played Vandy and Lewis for more than 4 or 5 minutes.

    That, in my opinion, is why we walk sometime. If you have a smart phone, get the ESPN Score Center app. When you look at the player stats, you have to “open” the bench. I have watched this for several games. Our bench is typically 2, maybe 3 guys. Our opponents is upwards of 11. I think that UNC played 10 last week.

    The idiot(s – there were several) thought that we would have DeThaey and that that Vandy would be a bigger influence. Vandy was injured and is finally getting some minutes and shows the need for confidence some time. This was Tyler’s breakout game. He will regress, but will then come back stronger. Learning is not a straight line (upward) process.

    What is so critical about Tyler’s minutes is that the main 4 would actually get less minutes. SO, if Tyler puts in 15 – 18 minutes, then the main 4 would probably be in the LOW 30’s rather than the mid 30’s. If Vandenberg can put in 12 or so minutes, then that helps, but it would be primarily for Howell and Leslie, so they would have fewer minutes and maybe committ fewer “Fatigue” fouls.

    On another note, our seats are in the 214 section and we look almost down the “teams” sideline.

    After the game, we watched in amazement as Reggie Johnson (42) and maybe one or two other Miami players in uniform charged the students on the opposite side of the scorers or team side. They looked from our vantage point like they were almost in the stands thumping their chests and holding out their jersies. This lasted, for an estimated 15 – 30 seconds. There were other players that came over and eventually calmer heads ruled and they crowd was sort of “pulled” by some members away from the students.

    The Miami coaching staff was in the traditional congratulatory line and did not see this. Then they cleared the floor.

    Did anyone ELSE see this? I had one of my party describe what she saw and it was a very accurate description of what I saw.

    If our players had acted in such a manner, I would have expected a written apology and a verbal (broadcast) one and perhaps some discipline.

    It was a HARD fought game. I think that we will be much stronger for it. Tyler’s poise today might impact his minutes. If he starts getting minutes, then the average minutes for the starters and TJ will decrease and their fatigue factor will diminish.

  9. MrPlywood 02/02/2013 at 7:55 PM #

    ^The broadcast showed Johnson woofing up close and personal, I believe the announcer said something about “taunting the crowd”. Classless.

  10. NCSU84 02/02/2013 at 8:04 PM #

    For those of us who are late to the party, please tell us what the WBS acronym stands for.

  11. Rick 02/02/2013 at 8:06 PM #

    “The broadcast showed Johnson woofing up close and personal, I believe the announcer said something about “taunting the crowd”. Classless.”

    PLayers and fans

    I will laugh when they get on probation again

  12. Wulfpack 02/02/2013 at 8:11 PM #

    We played well and lost. It happens. Lewis was amazing. It looked like to me that was a called play out of the TO.

    Miami began to eat us alive on the boards later in the second half. It ended our day, just as it did at Maryland. Additionally, we had some really bad turnovers late in the game, and Calvin made one of his boneheaded plays. This team just cannot seem to get it done in crunch time. That has to change if we want to be a contender.

    We played the best team in the league neck and neck, and should have won, without our starting PG. So not bad at all there.

    However, we are now 5-4 with a very good chance of going to 5-5. That is getting very close to bubble land my friends.

    I still think we are one of the best teams out there when we play like we know how. We definitely have the goods to make a strong tourney run. But we are going to have to et there first, and right now we are in a fight. I am also very wary of Gott’s late game coaching. A lot going wrong there.

    Lewis shows he belongs, and he must see more minutes. That was a fine performance. He really led us today.

  13. NCSU84 02/02/2013 at 8:11 PM #

    And BTW, I was at the game tonight and I the crowd was very subdued as the arena emptied. This one hurts, but the freshmen played well and I saw the future of Wolfpack basketball on display tonight. Tomorrow looks brighter and we are on track to have a very special run come tournament time. And that is what coach Gott has been preaching all along (if anyone has been listening). Go Pack!

  14. ADVENTUROO 02/02/2013 at 8:17 PM #

    I do NOT know who started calling Tyler WBS or Wee Baby Seamus.

    I have seen it and am not into the series where WBS evolved or exists. There is one fan who wears what looks to me like a WBS mask (based on the google images) and some of the large “posters” depict such an image.

    I will leave it up the the orignator of the term and the linking to Tyler.

    Interesting fact about Tyler. Look at the roster. His weight is listed about 10 pounds LESS than Scott. But Scott is 7 inches taller.

    So, I guess that we could call Scott TBS or Tall Baby Seamus.

    I was impressed, and very pleased, with how he played. He was also interviewed in the post game. The young man is articulate and very BB savvy. He is also very modest and does not have an attitude or that is is the “center” of the team.

    I think that he will be a cotributor for the rest of the season….will he be in double figures every night….of course NOT. BUT if he plays 15 -18 minutes, that is about 3 minutes that the OTHER 6 will not have to play and they should be more rested and stronger at the end. Rodney and TJ would not change substantially, but the fab four’s minutes would decrease.

  15. blpack 02/02/2013 at 8:21 PM #

    Really ticked after the loss, but we out played them most of the game. Couple of mistakes really costs us. I agree with BJD above, this team can get on a roll down the stretch. Maybe starting Thurs.

  16. TMD11 02/02/2013 at 8:22 PM #

    This was a home game, UM didn’t play especially well, Lewis played well – well enough for us to win…but we don’t because of the little mistakes, and because we can’t hold a lead against ANYBODY. Looking to the next year is a cop out and something that many of us Pack fans have been doing for 22 years… Stupid stuff hurts us – The little things matter and so does playing defense.

    We will struggle to win 9-10 games in the conference.

  17. primacyone 02/02/2013 at 8:24 PM #

    The Metal Barn was Rocking!

  18. Wulfpack 02/02/2013 at 8:27 PM #

    If we play the way we played today, and add Zo, we should have little trouble the rest of the way in league play. We played very well overall. We will be heavily favored in a majority of the games after Thursday evening. So it is likely all about seeding, we aren’t going to win the ACC championship. Maybe the tournament, but I would much rather see a deep NCAA tourney run. Play like we did today and we very well could. Miami is a very solid team that could be playing in Atlanta.

  19. hiltonpeel 02/02/2013 at 8:30 PM #

    I am proud of our team. They did a great job and played their best. State is improving. We may still win it all. Keep the faith.

  20. BJD95 02/02/2013 at 8:49 PM #

    I think this will be an 11-7 or 12-6 ACC team. We could still get a 4 seed in the dance if we play well in the conference tourney.

    5-5 is only “close to bubble land” if the schedule laid out such that we would reasonably project to finish 9-9. Not the case at all.

    Yeah, it’s a home loss. It will almost certainly be our only home loss of the season, by one point at the buzzer without Zo. Seriously…when was our last undefeated home season? I don’t recall ever doing it. Hardly a damning statement that we failed to do something for the first time in 30+ years. IMHO

  21. BJD95 02/02/2013 at 8:54 PM #

    Scott Wood already has a SFN meme – Woo. It’s all in good fun.

    I would give anything to have our beloved Pringles back, even with his over-fondness for his hot-and-cold jumpshot.

    That’s all kinds of awesome if one of the fans really did wear a Wee Baby Seamus mask. I’m going to unofficially credit that for the breakout on-court performance today. And I love seeing our silly little antics make it into the real world like that.

  22. MrPlywood 02/02/2013 at 8:55 PM #

    State has missed out on wins due to any number of reasons, including self-inflicted gaffs. I’m in agreement with those who believe that the season is about the tournaments. And State isn’t the only talented team taking losses – just today #2 KU, #6 Syracuse, #10 Oregon, #15 Wichita and #22 SDSU all lost to unranked opponents. #20 NM is in a dogfight. Our good friends OKS beat Kansas. Butler has lost two recent WTF games to La Salle and St L., and was less than impressive against Rhode Island.

    The Miami game was going to be tough with a healthy Zo, so there are positives to be had. The season isn’t over.

  23. Wulfpack 02/02/2013 at 8:55 PM #

    We are going to have to go on a good solid run to garner a 4 seed. We won’t be ranked next week in all likelihood. Follow that with a likely Duke loss, and there will be some ground to make up. Now the schedule is favorable, but we can’t afford to drop more than probably two. Top 4 seed means you are top 16 nationally. Going to have to go on a run to get there. No more WTF losses like the Wake loss. Must beat UNC at the hole, and most certainly should.

  24. Khan 02/02/2013 at 8:58 PM #

    I think we all know that we have talent on this team. But until they can step up at the end of close games, we are always going to be what we have seen so far this season — underperformers. The fact is, CJ is not a clutch player. He’s just not. Some people are clutch, and some people just aren’t. He’s not and probably won’t be.

    And how many times to we have to endure an end of game or end of half tip-in before we get smart enough to not allow it? It’s got to be basketball IQ. Bad luck is one time…maybe twice. But when you can absolutely evaluate a close game and know that State is going to screw it away and the other team is going to make the play, it’s not about luck. It’s about composure and intelligence, and it’s about having somebody that’s clutch. We don’t have that person…yet.

    Our identity in close games is to lose. Maybe someday, we can change that.

    That said, I was proud of Lewis. I am glad that he’s got game. I was hoping he would be the one to take the last shot, and it was a good shot.

    I don’t blame any of the freshmen for their end of game play. Hopefully, they will learn and grow. But until we can find someone who can step up when it matters, I’m not sure how anybody thinks we can achieve anything other than an OK season.

  25. MrPlywood 02/02/2013 at 9:06 PM #

    I don’t know what your definition of “clutch” is, but looking at the play-by-play I see State down 69-67 at 5:20, then CJ D rebound, CJ dunk, 2 CJ free throws, Howell D rebound, Woo 3, then 2 more CJ free throws to put State up 76-71 with 2 minutes to play, WITH the ball after ANOTHER CJ D rebound. Then I see a Purvis TO and foul (Miami scores 2), a TJ TO (Miami scores 2) and the missed FT and bad foul by CJ (Miami scores 1).

    CJ got another D rebound to give State the ball with 28 seconds to go and a 1 point lead.

    Looks to me like CJ had a whole hell of a lot to do with State even being in position to win that game.

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