Wake Forest University
NC State
Miller-McIntyre's Heroics Lead Deacs Past Wolfpack
1/16/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 16, 2014
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By Ben Helms, WakeForestSports.com
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Codi Miller-McIntyre scored the game-winning layup with four seconds to go to lift Wake Forest past NC State 70-69 in a thriller at Joel Coliseum.
Wake Forest had led for most of the second half after trailing by eight at halftime, but it was the Wolfpack who had the lead late after Desmond Lee knocked down two free throws with 10 seconds remaining to push them in front 69-68.
Miller-McIntyre threw a quick inbounds pass to Devin Thomas, and Thomas passed the ball right back to Miller-McIntyre, setting up a fast break. The sophomore went hard to the rim, finishing through a foul as the Joel Coliseum crowd celebrated the impending win over its Tobacco Road rival.
Miller-McIntyre missed the bonus free throw and on the ensuing NC State rush down court, Anthony Barber's wild shot caromed off the top of the glass, sealing victory for Wake Forest.
The winning basket capped off a 20-point performance for Miller-McIntyre, his eighth of the season, which came on 7-of-11 shooting.
Arnaud William Adala Moto provided a spark off the bench for Wake Forest (12-5, 2-2). Adala Moto recorded the first double-double of his career with 15 points and 11 rebounds, including an impressive 11-of-14 performance from the foul line.
Thomas finished with 16 points and 6 rebounds, despite playing with four fouls for much of the second half. Also scoring in double figures was Tyler Cavanaugh, who nailed three early shots from behind the arc to spark his 10 point game.
Wake Forest had one of its best defensive efforts of the season in the second half. For a near nine minute stretch between 14:22 and 5:42, NC State was held without a field goal. The Deacons also forced the Wolfpack into foul trouble with leading scorer TJ Warren fouling out with three minutes left in the second half and three other NC State players having to play with four fouls for most of the period.
The Deacons shot 54.3 percent in the game - its highest mark of the year - and came through at the charity stripe at well, converting 28-of-39 attempts (71.8 percent).
After a first half in which they failed to develop an inside presence, the Demon Deacons asserted themselves in the second half, scoring 16 points in the paint while outrebounding the Wolfpack 18-14.
Cavanaugh's three early three pointers, in addition to one from Miller-McIntyre, pushed Wake Forest to a 20-11 edge with 13:49 left to go in the first half. The Wolfpack, led by Warren and Vandenberg, stormed back before halftime and took a 43-35 edge into the locker room.
Wake Forest opened on a 14-4 run in the second half to get back in the game. A layup by Thomas with 9:12 put Wake Forest up 58-57, giving the Deacons the lead until the drama of the final 30 seconds.
The Deacons will be back in action at 4 p.m. this Saturday when they face Clemson on the road. The game will be televised on ACC Network and can also be heard on the Wake Forest IMG Sports Network.
