NC State Lets One Slip Away in Final Minute Collapse vs. Miami
RALEIGH, N.C. - For 39 minutes, NC State had done just enough to put itself in position to win a critical ACC matchup. But in the final 52 seconds, everything unraveled. The Wolfpack surrendered an 8-0 run to Miami and fell, 77-76, in a game that will sting for a while - not just because of the result, but because of what it could have meant.
This marks the first time under Will Wade that NC State has dropped back-to-back games in ACC play. And while there were bright spots - including 17-point performances from Matt Able and Ven-Allen Lubin - the story of the night was about what went wrong, not what went right.
A Final Minute Meltdown
Let’s set the stage. With just under six minutes to go, a technical foul on Darrion Williams gave Miami a 69-65 lead and a little momentum.
But NC State responded like a team that knew what was at stake. A flurry of plays - a pair of Williams layups, an and-1 from Lubin, Quadir Copeland free throws, and a Lubin putback - sparked an 11-0 run that had the Lenovo Center rocking.
The Pack led 76-69 with under a minute to go.
And then... it all fell apart.
Miami’s Malik Reneau cut the lead to four with an and-1. Then came two disastrous turnovers before NC State could even get the ball past halfcourt - both leading to points, including a Tru Washington layup that made it 76-74.
Even with Miami missing a free throw on a 1-and-1, NC State couldn’t capitalize. Copeland missed the front end of his own 1-and-1, giving Miami one last chance with 8.1 seconds left.
Washington missed a three with 3.7 seconds remaining, but in a critical mistake, Darrion Williams fouled him on the shot. Washington calmly sank all three free throws. Just like that, the game was gone.
It was a brutal sequence that erased five minutes of hard-nosed basketball and turned what could’ve been a statement win into a painful reminder of how quickly things can shift in college hoops.
Outmuscled in the Paint, But Still in It
Here’s the part that makes this loss even harder to process: NC State was thoroughly outworked in the paint. Miami outscored the Pack 56-32 inside and dominated the offensive glass, pulling down 20 offensive boards to NC State’s eight. That translated into 22 second-chance points - a number that usually spells doom.
And yet, despite all of that, the Pack still had control of the game late. That’s a testament to the talent and resilience on this roster.
But it also makes the final-minute collapse even more frustrating. This wasn’t a game lost over 40 minutes - it was lost in less than one.
Matt Able Breaks Out, McNeil Stays Hot
There were some silver linings, and freshman Matt Able was at the top of that list. The former Miami commit came out firing, scoring 15 points in the first half alone - matching his career high in just 13 minutes of action.
He hit three triples, including one off a slick fake swing pass, finished a layup at the rim, and knocked down both of his free throws. He finished with a new career-high 17 points.
In the second half, it was Paul McNeil who stepped up. The sophomore sharpshooter hit four threes after the break, finishing with 14 points, four rebounds, and two blocks.
In a game where Miami brought the physicality, McNeil didn’t back down. He gave the Pack a chance to punch back, and for a while, they did.
What This Loss Means for the Pack
This wasn’t just another ACC loss - this was a missed opportunity with real implications. NC State had a chance to gain separation from Miami in the standings, lock down a tiebreaker, and move into third place in the conference ahead of Clemson. A win would’ve put them in strong position for a double-bye in the ACC Tournament and pushed them closer to solidifying an NCAA Tournament berth.
Instead, they’re left looking up. And the road ahead doesn’t get any easier. Matchups against UNC, Duke, and Virginia loom large, and if the Pack wants to make a serious push in March, they’ll likely need to win at least one - maybe two - of those.
Teams are starting to figure out how to defend NC State: sag off the perimeter, force tough shots from deep, and challenge them to win with execution. That’s exactly what Miami did down the stretch.
The frustrating part? This team has the pieces.
They’ve shown they can go toe-to-toe with anyone in the league. But losses like this - and the recent one to Georgia Tech - both by a combined three points, have them still searching for that next step.
For now, NC State is still in the mix. But if they want to be more than just a bubble team, they’ll need to close games like this. Because in the ACC, and especially in February, margins are razor thin - and opportunities don’t come twice.