Stunner: NC State Wolfpack 66-65 over LSU

BeeJay Anya to the rescue.

No. 8 seed NC State Wolfpack defeated No. 9 seed LSU Tigers 66-65 on a last second roll-in of an off-balance shot by sophomore big man BeeJay Anya in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday night at Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, PA.

Mar 19, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack forward Beejay Anya (21) celebrates with Wolfpack guard Anthony Barber (12) after scoring the game winning basket against the LSU Tigers in the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Consol Energy Center. The Wolfpack won 66-65. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Halftime: LSU 40 – NC State 26

It’s hard to tell what the real story here is. Was it the monumental collapse of the Bayou Bengals or the resilience and heart of the Wolfpack? Or was it the fierce play down the stretch of Kyle Washington and Anya? Whatever the theme, the reality is that NC State (21-13) is moving on to the second round to face the No. 1 seed Villanova Wildcats (32-2).

LSU (22-11) led most of the game including a 14 point halftime lead. The lead would eventually grow to 16 points as the Tigers shot 50% and surged past the sluggish Wolfpack, beating them on the glass and fast break. The Wolfpack, pretty good in both those categories, were seemingly out of sync for most of the game until they were able to finally right the ship late in the second half.

Mar 19, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; LSU Tigers forward Jordan Mickey (25) reacts after the game against the North Carolina State Wolfpack in the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Consol Energy Center. The Wolfpack won 66-65. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

NC State began to hit shots they consistently missed in the first half and incredibly LSU aided the comeback by missing their final 12 field goal attempts and last six free throws of the game.

With four starters tallying at least 36 minutes, LSU seemed to run out of gas as the Pack continued to battle back. LSU’s Tim Quarterman scored 17 with Jarell Martin and Jordan Mickey adding 16 and 12 points respectively.

The Wolfpack’s 18-3 run finally culminated with a BeeJay Anya tip-in with :44 seconds remaining to cut the Tiger lead to one point at 65-64. After a LSU missed shot, Anya scored on a last second hook shot than rolled in as time expired. The roll-in was almost negated by what at first appeared to be an illegal touch as the ball rolled on the rim. However, replays confirmed the no-call was correct. NC State’s Abdul-Malik Abu did not touch the ball.

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