Pack holds off Wake Forest to end 4-game slide but loses Daniels to injury
N.C. State has had COVID-19 issues. The Wolfpack has had injuries to Manny Bates and Braxton Beverly. It has been a season of adversity, of unpredictability.
Now there is more.
Having lost four consecutive ACC games, the Pack badly needed a victory Wednesday against Wake Forest at PNC Arena. The Pack got the win 72-67, but had senior Devon Daniels leave the game with a leg injury.
Moments after pushing his point total to 20 for the game, Daniels had to be helped to the locker room. He made a twisting drive into the lane and lost the ball as he fell to the court, grabbing his left leg. He was not able to put any weight on his leg as he left the court with 9:03 left in the second half.
NCSU coach Kevin Keatts said after the game that he had not received an update on the injury. Keatts said it was a “shock” to see Daniels go down but liked the way his team regained its composure and finished out the game.
“I’ve learned in this league that wins are golden,” Keatts said. “We’re going to pray for Devon and hope everything is OK. We’re going to enjoy, as much as we can, our win and we’re going to try and build on it.”
The Pack (7-5, 3-4 ACC), which built an 18-point lead midway through the second half, led 53-39 when Daniels went out.
The Demon Deacons made a late push, clawing within 58-52 on a Daivien Williamson 3-pointer with 3:30 remaining. After a timeout Jericole Hellems scored for the Pack and D.J. Funderburk then had a steal — Wake’s 21st turnover of the game.
Williamson, with a late flurry of baskets, had 22 points for Wake Forest.
The Deacons (4-7, 1-7 ACC) made it a five-point game in the final minute of regulation, but Jericole Hellems made a pair of free throws and Thomas Allen a basket to ease the tension for the Pack.
Daniels came into the game leading the Pack in scoring (16.2), coming off a 21-point game at North Carolina. He also led the Wolfpack in steals (20) and assists (35).
After scoring 15 points in the first half, Daniels continued to attack the basket in the second, scoring twice as the Wolfpack took a 40-25 lead.
Wake Forest took advantage of a flagrant foul against the Pack’s Braxton Beverly, who was called for hooking Emmanuel Okpomo on a defensive rebound. Okpomo made 1-of-2 free throws, then scored on a putback as Wake pulled within 40-30.
But Beverly answered with a 3-pointer from the key, his first shot of the game. Manny Bates hit two foul shots and D.J. Funderburk scored as the Pack ran the lead back to 47-30.
First half update: Pack leads 32-21
The first half at PNC Arena ended with seven minutes of some ugly basketball by both teams, but the Pack emerged with a 32-21 lead after Devon Daniels hit a pair of free throws to end it.
Daniels had his 15 points in 18 minutes, hitting three 3-pointers, and the Pack’s pressure defense caused 12 turnovers by a Wake team that has had a lot this season — Daivien Williamson had five of the 12. The Wolfpack had 12 points off the turnovers and could have had more had it not had nine turnovers.
Daniels had 13 points as the Pack has moved to a 28-19 lead with 6:47 left in the first half. The Pack has hit five 3s to the Deacons’ 3 and used an 11-0 run to extend the lead,
The game was sloppy after that to end the first half, with the two teams combining to miss eight straight shots and turn the ball over seven times before State’s D.J. Funderburk scored inside for a 30-19 lead.
Wake Forest did not have a field goal in the last 7:09 of the first half after a jumper by Ismael Massoud and shot 28 percent from the field.
Daniels knocked down two 3-pointers sandwiched around a 3 from freshman Shakeel Moore as the Pack has moved ahead 19-15 nine minutes into the first half.
Wake Forest takes a lot of 3s. That’s what Steve Forbes’ team has done well of late, and continued to do it early against the Pack.
Massoud, coming off a 31-point game against Pitt, knocked down two early 3-pointers as the Deacons took an 11-8 lead in the first five minutes of the game. Massoud hit 8-of-10 3-pointers in the win over Pitt.
The Pack forced turnovers on Wake’s first two possessions and looked to extend defensive pressure full court.
Important game for Pack
N.C. State has battled COVID-19. The Wolfpack has battled injuries. It hasn’t been easy.
What the Pack needs to help ease the adversity and anxiety level this season is a victory. The Wolfpack, after losing its last four games, hosted Wake Forest at PNC Arena on Wednesday in its first home in 18 days and its second in January.
Pack coach Kevin Keatts has beaten the Demon Deacons five of six times since taking over at N.C. State but on Wednesday was facing an old friend, first-year Wake Forest coach Steve Forbes. The Pack also faced a team coming off its first ACC win, beating Pitt 76-75.
The starters
The Wolfpack was set to open with a starting lineup of Devon Daniels, Manny Bates, Braxton Beverly, Thomas Allen and Jericole Hellems.
The Deacons opened with Isaiah Mucius, Daivien Williamson, Jonah Antonio, Ismael Massoud and Ody Oguama.
Beverly at best against Deacons
No one played better for the Pack against Wake Forest last season than Braxton Beverly.
The senior guard had 15 and then 16 points in two victories over the Deacons and drained eight of nine 3-pointers. In six career games against Wake, Beverly has hit 51.6 percent (16 of 31) on 3s.
Beverly scored his 200th career 3-pointer in the loss Saturday at North Carolina and now has 100 career steals after making five against the Tar Heels. According to NCSU, Beverly becomes the third-player in program history — with Rodney Monroe (1987-91) and Engin Atsur (2003-07) — to hit 200 three-pointers, pass out 250 assists and record 100 steals in their careers.
This story was originally published January 27, 2021 at 7:49 PM.
