Their decisive win over No. 1 Duke was two weeks ago was supposed to usher in a new era for NC State, but the Wolfpack, despite a lineup filled with future NBA players, remain as inconsistent as ever.
No. 18 N.C. State vs. Wake Forest final: Hangover continues for Wolfpack
NC State has now dropped two consecutive road nail-biters to lower-tier ACC competition after the big win against Duke.
Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
On Tuesday, NC State lost, 86-84, to a 10-8 Wake Forest team that shouldn’t have been able to stay with them, even at home. C.J. Leslie had several chances at the line in the last minute but wasn’t able to convert, giving Demon Deacons fans a rare chance to celebrate and rush the court in the Jeff Bzdelik era.
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Wake Forest got a career game from freshman forward Devin Thomas, who had 25 points and 14 rebounds. He averages only seven points and six rebounds per game on the season.
NC State had five players score at least 13 points, but the defense, which has been the team’s Achilles heel all season, let them down once again. Much to Mark Gottfried’s chagrin, Wake Forest shot an eye-popping 49 percent from the floor, despite getting only 11 total points from the bench.
It’s the Wolfpack’s second narrow road loss in as many weeks, as they fell 51-50 to Maryland last weekend and are now once again looking up at Duke in the ACC standings.
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