#8 seed NC State rallied from a 16-point halftime deficit, holding #9 seed Clemson to 16 points in the second half, in a 59-58 win in the second round of the 2019 ACC Tournament on Wednesday.
The Pack (22-10) advances to Thursday’s quarterfinals to play top seed Virginia (28-2) with a 12:30 p.m. tip.
Clemson (19-13) used a 14-2 run to open a 22-8 first-half lead, and led by as many as 18 in the opening 20 minutes, before going into the locker room up 42-26.
Then, the Wolfpack got stingy on the defensive end, holding the Tigers to 6-of-31 shooting in the second half.
State would finally take the lead, at 54-53, on the first of back-to-back Markell Johnson threes, with 5:38 to go.
A five-point play for Clemson – a three by Marcquise Reed, a foul away from the ball as the shot was in the air on NC State, and an ensuing stickback layup by Elijah Thomas – put the Tigers back up, 58-57, with 3:44 left.
That would be all the scoring until the final seconds. Johnson drove into the lane, drew contact from Clemson defender Clyde Trapp on a layup attempt, and was given the whistle and two free throws with 2.6 seconds left.
Johnson made both shots to put State back on top. Clemson wasn’t able to get a shot at the rim at the buzzer.
Augusta Free Press coverage of the 2019 ACC Tournament is presented by Bear Creek. Serving Waynesboro, Charlottesville, Harrisonburg and surrounding communities, Bear Creek provides a hassle-free process to help homeowners create outdoor living spaces that bring people together. Schedule a consultation at BearCreek.co.
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