With just over a minute to play and a seven-point lead in hand, NC State looked like it was about to walk out with a hard-fought win. Instead, what followed was a stunning collapse - a series of mental errors, missed opportunities, and costly fouls that opened the door for Miami to steal a game that should’ve been locked away.
It all started at the 1:07 mark. Everyone in the building knew the ball was going to Malik Reneau - he’d already poured in 26 points - but NC State didn’t rotate in time.
Reneau drove right, got to the rim untouched, finished through contact, and converted the and-one. Just like that, the lead was trimmed to four.
Still, NC State had control - until they handed it right back.
On the ensuing possession, Shawn Lubin threw away the inbounds pass, and Miami capitalized with a quick layup. Now it’s a two-point game, and the pressure ratcheted up.
Then came a strange sequence. Instead of quickly inbounding the ball and catching Miami off guard, Quadir Copeland let the ball sit after it came through the net, waiting for Darrion Williams to inbound. That hesitation gave Miami just enough time to set up its full-court press.
And things only got worse.
Copeland, instead of asserting himself and demanding the ball - as you’d expect from a floor general in crunch time - drifted into position, allowing Miami to anticipate the pass. Williams, with no safe option, was forced to lob it into the corner to Tre Holloman - a textbook trap zone.
Miami pounced, and rather than calling one of NC State’s two remaining timeouts, Holloman tried to pass out of the double-team. He found Copeland, but the ball was knocked loose, and Copeland’s foul gave Miami possession and momentum.
On the next defensive stand, NC State completely lost track of a Miami shooter. He got a wide-open look from deep - a breakdown in communication - but missed. A huge break for the Wolfpack.
They secured the rebound, got it to Copeland, and he was sent to the line with a chance to put the game away.
He missed the front end of the one-and-one.
Now it’s a two-point game, and NC State just needs to avoid giving up a three. Simple in theory, but execution was another story.
Miami inbounded to Reneau, who was well-covered by Lubin and Copeland. But Darrion Williams made a critical mistake - he left his man to help, even though help wasn’t needed. That left his assignment wide open.
The ball swung to the open man, who drove. Holloman, instead of staying home, helped on the drive, leaving his man - Miami’s shooter - wide open in the corner. Another defensive lapse, another bad read.
The ball found Kyshawn Washington, who rose for a clean look. Williams tried to recover, but it was too late - he fouled the shooter.
Three shots. Washington buried all three.
Ballgame.
NC State’s 7-point lead vanished in under 70 seconds. Final score: Miami wins. A gut-punch loss for a team that had the game in its grasp.
And while the ending will grab the headlines, the full 40 minutes told a story of inconsistency. NC State had its bright spots - Matt Able was electric in the first half, dropping 15 points.
Paul McNeil Jr. came alive in the second, finishing with 14. Lubin was a force, going 7-of-9 from the field for 17 points and grabbing 9 boards.
But the team’s stars didn’t rise when it mattered most.
Copeland finished with 11 points and 5 assists, but shot just 3-for-10 from the field and 1-for-5 from deep. Miami dared him to shoot, sagging off and clogging the lane.
He took the bait, missed the shots, and it clearly rattled him. By the end, he didn’t look like the same player - hesitant, passive, and unsteady.
For a point guard, that’s a tough pill to swallow.
Then there was Darrion Williams, who struggled all night. His line - 11 points on 5-of-12 shooting, 1-of-5 from three, 3 rebounds, 3 assists - doesn’t tell the full story.
He committed three turnovers and fouled out, including a technical foul that gave away two points and the game-deciding foul on the three-point shooter. The decision-making just wasn’t there, and it cost NC State dearly.
Miami, meanwhile, stayed poised. Reneau was dominant, and the Hurricanes controlled the glass with a 40-29 rebounding edge. They protected the ball, turning it over just nine times, and executed a defensive game plan that neutralized Copeland and disrupted NC State’s rhythm.
Credit where it’s due - Miami made the plays down the stretch. But make no mistake: NC State let this one slip away.
This wasn’t just a loss. It was a missed opportunity in a game they had won - until they didn’t.