Gameday Live Blog/Open Thread: State vs Wake Forest
Senior Night is usually a time to look back and celebrate the careers of team members playing their final home game.
And some of that will be done tonight when NC State takes on Wake Forest at PNC Arena in its final game of the regular season. Seniors Markell Johnson and C.J. Bryce, along with graduate transfers Pat Andree and Danny Dixon will be honored for what they have already done in their respective careers.
But just as much attention will be focused on what they and their younger teammates still have yet to accomplish this season. The outcome could go a long way toward determining whether State finishes its season in the NCAA tournament or the NIT for the second straight year.
At 18-12 (9-10 ACC), coach Kevin Keatts' team is squarely on the NCAA bubble and can't afford to lose another game to an ACC also-ran after going 0-4 this season against fellow bottomfeeders North Carolina and Georgia Tech.
It's a game the Wolfpack should win, especially since it's already being reported that Deacons' coach Danny Manning is in buyout talks with his school. But you never know what kind of effort you're going to get from State from game-to-game, so anything is possible.
While we wait to find out which Wolfpack team will show up tonight, here are some links to our previous coverage this week to help pass the time:
Wolfpack Can’t Afford to Slip Up Against Deacons
Wolfpack Tipoff: Game 31, Wake Forest
Don't forget to check back here as the game goes on for live updates and analysis ...
PREGAME
Keatts is starting all his seniors for this must-win game ... Danny Dixon and Pat Andree replace D.J. Funderburk and Manny Bates in the lineup. C.J. Bryce and Markell Johnson are out there, too. Devon Dixon is the only non senior starter for the Wolfpack ...
Keatts has broken out the red blazer tonight ... You know it's a big one ...
TV Teddy, Ron Groover and Jeff Pon in stripes ...
FIRST HALF
Dixon gets State's first basket on a layup ... but on the other end, he's given up two dunks to Wake big man Olivier Sarr. ...
Funderburk gets Dixon after 2 1/2 minutes ... Now Hellems for Andree after four minutes ...
Not much defense thus far ... both teams shooting 60 percent in the early going. It might take 90 to win this one ...
Johnson has hit his first two three-pointers. A very good sign ....
He then misses the heat check ...
Bryce gets called for a foul away from the ball. It's his second. Not what the Wolfpack needs tonight ...
First TV timeout: Wake 13, State 10
Now Beverly with a three. State is 3 for its first 5 from beyond the arc ...
This is not a mis-type. Braxton Beverly has scored State's last eight points and the Wolfpack is now up 20-13. Wake timeout ...
Andree back in for some non-ceremonial run. It looks like his ankle may finally be healthy enough for him to contribute. That's good news for the Wolfpack going into the postseason. An extra set of legs, especially one that can make threes, can't hurt ...
And yet another three from Beverly ... his bad back must be feeling better tonight ...
Under 12 TV timeout: State 27, Wake 17
Just got word that Manny Bates isn't going to play tonight and that coach Kevin Keatts will provide an update after the game. Not sure if it's an injury or discipline, but he's on the bench ...
This is a game in which the Wolfpack could really use the 6-foot-11 freshman. Wake big man Sarr already has 10 points and four rebounds and has been tough for State to defend ...
That being said, State is shooting well and defending everyone else adequately. It's up by 10 midway through the first half. Wolfpack can't afford to take its foot off the accelerator as it has many times this season. It needs to put Danny and the Miserables away as quickly as possible to take away any incentive they might still have ...
Beverly from distance AGAIN ... that's four tonight and 14 points total ...
And now Dixon scores on a feed from Johnson ... State up 32-17 ...
Markell Johnson now has four assists, giving him 590 for his career, moving him past Lorenzo Brown for third on State's career list ... Sidney Lowe is second with 762 and Chris Corchiani is No. 1 with 1,038 ...
First Beverly going off, now Danny Dixon. Crazy night. The grad transfer has six points. That's already a career high. He's 3 of 3 from the floor ...
Meanwhile, Beverly has 16 points. His career high is 23 ...
But just like that, Brandon Childress hits back-to-back treys and Keatts isn't happy about it. He calls time with State leading 38-26 with 4:36 left in the half ...
Under 4 TV timeout: State 40, Wake 26
A little sputter to finish out the half, but the Wolfpack is still comfortably ahead 44-31 after 20 minutes. The key now is to come out with the same kind of intensity in the second half and finish this off ...
Halftime: State 44, Wake 31
SECOND HALF
Hellems picks up a quick third foul to start the half ...
Good Markell in the house tonight ... He's got 11 points, made three three-pointers, has eight assists, four rebounds and three steals ... He's starting to border on triple-double watch ...
Still a long way to go, but so far the Wolfpack looks as though it's keeping the hammer down ...
Under 16 TV timeout: State 52, Wake 37
C.J. Bryce has only two points and State leads by 17 ... Wolfpack getting contributions from others ...
And just because I mentioned it, Bryce scores from the lane ...
Wolfpack is still up by 15, but have had three really sloppy offensive possesions in a row. This is not the time to ease up ... Dixon getting ready to come in and provide some energy. ...
But before that happens, Beverly gets his third steal of the game and it leads to a fastbreak dunk by Daniels ...
Under 12 TV timeout: State 58, Wake 41
Danny Dixon is having himself a night ... that's eight points and some really nice defense on Sarr ... Good for him. Senior Night. Been a tough season for him. This is one that he'll always have ...
And now he's got 10 points (on 5 of 5 shooting) after an offensive rebound ... Crowd and bench going crazy ....
Dixon's career high is 16 points last season for Missouri-Kansas City against Utah Valley ...
Andree called for a soft foul on a rebounds and a fan in the stands yells: "Cmon Teddy, he's a senior!"
Meanwhile, Wake has narrowed the gap to just 12 with a lot of time left ...
Jahcobi Neath with a basket and it's down to 10. It's a 9-0 Wake run over the past two minutes. Keatts wants time. Wolfpack up 62-52 with 7:28 left ...
Funderburk scores out of the timeout to stop the bleeding ... He's got 15 ...
Johnson with a lob to Funderburk for two more. ... He's got 10 assists now. Sixth time this season he's done that. He also has 13 points and four rebounds. ...
If this is Funderburk's last home game (should he go into the draft), then he's a good one ... He's got 19 points, seven boards and three blocks. He's also 7 of 10 from the floor ...
Bryce now in double figures with 11 ... Five Wolfpack players with 10 or more points
Keatts calles timeout to take his seniors out ... Chase Graham gets Markell Johnson, who receives a well-deserved standing ovation. Now Farthing comes in to give Bryce his moment in the spotlight. ...
Chase Graham adds a three-point exclamation point ... and then a steal and a layup. If you had Danny Dixon and Chase Graham combining for 15 points tonight, you're a liar ...
Much better Senior Night than last year, when Georgia Tech spoiled a career night by Torin Dorn. This one is also big, because it keeps the Wolfpack in contention for an NCAA tournament bid ...
You can't understate how important this one is. Wolfpack finishes the regular season at 19-12 (10-10 in the ACC ...
Final: State 84, Wake Forest 64
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