NC State comes up short at Auburn, 79-73

John Reed-USA TODAY SportsA big win was right there within reach for NC State with five minutes left—the Wolfpack took a two-point lead on a Braxton Beverly layup, and suddenly a road upset felt more than doable. But Auburn scored the next 10 points to run past the Pack to the 79-73 win.

There was a pivotal point above a minute after Beverly’s layup where DJ Funderburk was hit with a dubious traveling call that made for a quick turnaround on the scoreboard. Could be that nothing would have changed in the end if that call doesn’t go against State, but no doubt that one hurt quite a bit.

But State also didn’t play smart after taking the late lead, and sloppiness meant empty possessions when the…