Gameday Live Blog/Open Thread: State vs. Clemson
NC State and Clemson met on the basketball court only two weeks ago, but my, how things have already changed since then.
The Wolfpack is back at full strength again after being without leading scorer and rebounder C.J. Bryce for four games -- including an 81-70 loss to the Tigers on Jan. 4 -- while recovering from a concussion.
His presence back in the lineup made a huge difference on Wednesday as State surged past Miami for a key ACC win.
Clemson, too, has undergone a transformation. After losing its first three conference games, coach Brad Brownell's team used that victory against the Wolfpack as a springboard to its first win ever in Chapel Hill before beating Duke in its most recent game last Tuesday.
This is an important one for State, which has a chance to go over .500 in the ACC for the first time this season before heading to Virginia for a difficult road game on Monday.
Before things get started, here are some of the stories we've done leading up to tonight's game to help set the scene ...
Bryce Ready To Build On Successful Return
Sky's the Limit For Blossoming Funderburk
Wolfpack Tipoff: Game 18, Clemson
And here's the recap from the first meeting between these teams:
Slow Start, Poor Shooting Do In Wolfpack at Clemson
PREGAME
More lineup changes for State today. Keatts still going with the big lineup with Manny Bates at center and D.J. Funderburk at power forward. But C.J. Bryce is back in the lineup replacing slumping Braxton Beverly. Markell Johnson and Devon Daniels are the other two starters. This is State's best five. Might as well get them all out there at the same time right from the jump ...
Lee Cassell, Jerry Heater and Sean Hull are the men in stripes today ...
FIRST HALF
Johnson gets things started with a three fronm the left corner. Always a good sign when he gets the first one to go down. He had a terrible game against Clemson down there. Wolfpack needs him to be good here today ...
Much different start than the first meeting. Clemson got out to an 11-4 lead and made seven first half 3-pointers. Tigers have missed their first three from beyond the arc and are 1 of 6 overall. ...
First TV timeout: State 5, Clemson 3
Beverly, Hellems and Dixon into the game after the timeout. Beverly immediately called for a toul trying to prevent Al-Amir Dawes from posting him up ...
That's two quickies on Beverly. He's been in a major funk the past few games ...
Simms has scored seven of Clemson's last eight points, the Tigers are on an 11-0 run and Keatts wants a timeout, down 11-5 ...
Daniels stops the bleeding with a contested baseline jumper and a free throw ...
Manny Bates gets a dunk before leaving the game with an injuryu
Rob Kinnan/USAToday
Bates commits a foul and he's still down, holding his head. Not what the Wolfpack needs right now ... Team doctors, in addition to the training staff are looking at him.
Bates is sitting up now. Doctors working on his neck ...
He's up now, but walking very gingerly straight to the locker room …. my uneducated guess is concussion protocol ...
Team doctors are back on the bench. Bates isn't. Not a good sign.
Johnson breaks some ankles, gets into the lane and scores in traffic for a 17-16 Wolfpack lead, then Daniels feeds Funderburk for a dunk in transition and now it's Clemson that wants the timeout. It's an 11-1 State run ...
State 18, Clemson 16 with 7:55 left in the half
Crowd chanting "LSU ... LSU ... LSU" right now while Funderburk is having some blood cleaned off his uniform ...
It's an 18-3 State run. Wolfpack up by 8
Under 4 TV timeout: Wolfpack 27, Tigers 19
Clemson is 1 for its last 9 from the floor and has gone the last 3:08 without a basket. The Tigers are 8 for 22 overall, 1-6 from 3-point range and 4 of 12 from the free throw line … State needs to put these guys away ...
Dixon in, allowing Funderburk to move back to the four for awhile. The grad transfer's role gets significantly more important if Bates is out for any length of time ...
The Wolfpack closes out the half with a 22-4 run (31-9 if you want to take it a little further) and leads by 12 at the break.
Halftime: State 36, Clemson 24
SECOND HALF
Manny Bates won't return for the second half. State spokeman Craig Hammel said that the freshman big man suffered a direct blow to the back of his neck and is being held out for observation. No word on the extent of his injury of if he'll be available for Monday's key road game at Virginia ...
After Clemson scored the first five points of the second half, State has now gone on a 9-0 run, prompting Brownell to burn a quick timeout. ...
And now the Under 16 TV timeout: Wolfpack 47, Tigers 29
Hellems gets mugged going up for a dunk ... no call. Beverly looks at Newman the wrong way on the other end of the floor. ... foul. Incredible inconsistency there.
Newman misses both. Basketball gods correct the injustice. Clemson 5 of 17 from the line tonight ...
The officials have taken this one over ... way too many whistles. State flirting with some VERY serious foul trouble. Hellems has four. Johnson and Funderburk three each ... 9 minutes still left and Bates isn't available ...
Team fouls: State 7, Clemson 2
Meanwhile, State has missed 10 of its last 11 field goal attempts . Lead is down to eight ...
Under 8 TV timeout: Wolfpack 49, Tigers 41
D.J. Funderburk got his first career double-double in the game with 13 points and 11 rebounds
Rob Kinnan/USAToday sports
Funderburk wth a put-back ends a 4:16 drought without a field goal ... Clemson has gone cold too. Lead back up to 11 with 5 1/2 left ...
And now Johnson is called for his fourth foul … a charge in which the Clemson defender was clearly in the semicircle. Keatts is livid. Johnson goes over to calm his coach down.
Under 4: Wolfpack 54, Wolfpack 43
State up 56-48 with 1:49 left. Clemson's press is causing the Wolfpack trouble. The Tigers are closer in this one than they were against UNC at this point before rallying to send it into overtime. This one isn't over yet. ...
And now Pat Andree is being helped off the court with his right leg in the air. He lets out a scream as he gets to the bench. He is in massive pain right now. He's being taken back to the locker room now. Looked like he came down on another players' ankle going for a rebound ...
And oh by the way, Clemson is back within six at 56-50 ...
Beverly, whose 3-pointer at the buzzer beat Clemson here last year, just made his first 3 of the day as the shot clock buzzer sounded to increase the Wolfpack lead back to nine ...
Now State is called for a 10 second violation, even though two Wolfpack players were signaling for timeout. This is one of the worst officiated games I've seen in a long time ...
Funderburk has 13 points and 11 rebounds. Believe it or not, it's his first career double-double ...
Daniels makes one of two ... Still a two-possession game at 60-54 with 16.9 seconds left
Tigers misfires twice. Daniels back to the line with 4.5 left. Wolfpack is going to survive ... but lost two more key players to injuries.
Final: State 60, Clemson 54
