SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Markell Johnson's 3-pointer with 33 seconds to go broke a 70-70 tie and North Carolina State went on to defeat Syracuse 74-70 Wednesday.
The game was critical for both teams who reside squarely on the NCAA bubble.
Allerik Freeman led the Wolfpack (17-9, 7-6 Atlantic Coast Conference) with 17 points. Johnson had 16 and Sam Hunt, who hit four big 3s in the second half, added 14. The Wolfpack, who broke a two-game losing streak, had seven 3s in the final 20 minutes.
Syracuse (17-9, 6-7) was led by Oshae Brissett, who had a game-high 25 points, including 18 in the second half.