Man. If you had this game ending up in a shootout, then kudos to you, because good lord, this was not a result that seemed likely. But NC State persevered tonight, took every shot from Wake Forest, and triumphed anyway. What a game.
NC State deserves tons of credit for coming out strong, for not letting a long layoff matter—and State was the better team tonight, let’s not get that confused. State set the tone right from the start, and made Devin Leary’s absence not matter at all. A couple of calls kept Wake in this game, and there was that Bailey Hockman mistake, but otherwise, State was outstanding.