Told the Irish we were ready for a fight! #YouFeelinFroggyThenLeap #TTOCoachesKnowHowToUseThemHands pic.twitter.com/9xqhUwZlB9
— Nima Omidvar (@NimaOmidvar) January 8, 2014
Old MacDonald had a farm.
State improved to 11-4 (1-1) with its win at Purcell Pavilion tonight. Warren led State with 17 points but it was Barber (16 points) who staved off defeat by hitting 7-of-8 free throws over the final 1:44. Lee and Turner each had 12 points and Vandenberg had 11 boards.
NC State improves to 3-0 in road ACC openers under Mark Gottfried and evens the all-time series against the Irish at four to four.
RT @DickieV "Good road W 4 @Mark_Gottfried & the Pack over Notre Dame – Jimmy V is smiling baby in Hoops Heaven !"
— Pack Pride (@PackPride) January 8, 2014
ESPN supplies this boxscore and also included Cat Barber’s halftime buzzer beater as #6 on their list of Top 10 plays.
BTP added,
In the final minute, that single possession was the difference between Notre Dame fouling and a total crapshoot ending. I found Mike Brey’s decision to foul twice in a three-point game with between 50 and 42 seconds remaining odd, but I can’t totally blame him for putting this Wolfpack team on the line even if good defense and a stop would have given his club sufficient time to get down the floor and hoist a potential game-tying three.
It worked out poorly for Brey in this case, as first Warren knocked down a pair to give State a 71-66 lead, and then Barber followed an Irish layup with a pair of his own. That was an enormous sequence for the Pack. Sometimes things just work out.
The road win at South Bend puts NC State back in the ‘way too early but fun to have’ NCAA Tournament bubble conversation with a current RPI in the low 60s. Don’t forget that two of State’s losses – including our ‘worst loss’ of the year vs RPI #95 North Carolina Central – happened with our starting center injured and unable to play. So, State’s home game against Virginia (RPI #43) at 5pm on Saturday now looms TREMENDOUS for this team’s prospects for the season.
Final score from South Bend as we board the plane and head back to #Raleighwood #GoPack next game Sat vs #UVA 5PM pic.twitter.com/o5kPhxcS3g
— NC State MensBball (@PackMensBball) January 8, 2014
