The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1177236
76 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BASKETBALL PREVIEW 2019-20 NC State 67, Georgia 63 Nov. 9, 1999 No one knew exactly what to expect when NC State opened its new off-campus home, then called the Enter- tainment and Sports Arena (ESA), adjacent to Carter- Finley Stadium and the North Carolina State Fairgrounds. Sophomore guards Anthony Grundy and Archie Miller led the way, with Grundy scoring 13 points and Miller hitting a game-clinching three-pointer with 58 seconds on the clock. The victory propelled the Wolfpack to a seven-game winning streak to start the season, the most consecutive victories in a decade. The season ended in the National Invitation Tournament Final Four at New York's Madison Square Garden. No. 21 NC State 78, No. 1 Duke 74 Feb. 15, 2004 All-American Julius Hodge sank two free throws with seven seconds on the clock, and NC State snapped top- ranked Duke's 18-game winning streak. Senior Marcus Melvin scored tied for the game high with 18 points for the Wolfpack, while Hodge scored 14 of his 18 points in the second half. Ilian Evtimov added 15. It was the Pack's fifth overall win over a No. 1 team and the first since beating North Carolina in 1998. Top Five NC State Wins Of The PNC Arena Era The following list of the best Wolfpack wins at PNC Arena is presented in chronological order: No. 20 NC State 84, No. 1 Duke 76 January 12, 2013 Taking out its frustration on a season that began with high hopes, head coach Mark Gottfried's team got 25 points from C.J. Leslie and 16 points and 18 rebounds from Richard Howell to upend the top-ranked Blue Devils. The Wolfpack, picked to win the ACC regular-season championship for the first time in 40 years, celebrated the sixth win over a top-ranked team in school history by storming the court, though it needed one last act of hero- ics by Leslie: he rescued wheelchair-riding student Will Privette from being crushed by the crowd after being knocked over during the rush. Both Leslie and Privette gained national notoriety for the game and #RollPack T-shirts became all the rage on campus. — Tim Peeler NC State 83, No. 3 North Carolina 79 Feb. 3, 2007 In head coach Sidney Lowe's first game against rival North Carolina, the Wolfpack broke a six-game losing streak to the Tar Heels, thanks to a career performance by junior Courtney Fells, who made four three-pointers and had 21 points. Lowe joined Les Robinson, Press Maravich, Everett Case and Leroy Jay as the only coaches to beat UNC in their first attempt. Later in the season, the two teams met in the ACC title game, which the Tar Heels won 89-80 in Tampa, Fla. In the hallway after the game, North Carolina head coach Roy Williams gave Wolfpack baseball coach Elliott Avent, who was introduced with his team during an in-game timeout, a big congratulatory hug. To this day, Avent believes Williams thought he was hugging then-NC State basketball assistant Monte Towe. NC State 88, No. 7 Duke 74 January 20, 2010 Duke chose the wrong day to come after NC State center Tracy Smith of Dur- ham. On his 22nd birthday, Smith led the unranked Wolfpack to an improbable victory over a Duke team that would go on to win the 2010 NCAA champion- ship by scoring 23 points and grabbing six rebounds. Dennis Horner added 20 points, as all five State starters scored double-figure points. The Wolfpack grabbed an early lead in the game and never trailed, finish- ing with a 58.2 shooting percentage from the field. As fans stormed the court after the game, Smith conducted his postgame interview wearing a pointy birthday hat held on by a rubber band. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN