SPORTS EDITOR
Wake Hoops coach, Dave Odom
Carlton Ward
Junior guard Jerry Braswell escapes the pressure put on by NC State's C.C. Harrison in Sunday's game.
The Demon Deacons idled away much of Sunday's game against the N.C. State Wolfpack allowing their out-manned guests to remain eerily close on the scoreboard, and referee Mike Wood ultimately made the home team pay for its lackadaisical play.
Wolfpack guard C.C. Harrison connected on an off-balance shot as time expired in overtime, and Wood mistakenly called the shot a three-pointer to hand the Pack a 60-59 win.
Harrison's shot closed the curtains on a drama which had dragged on since the waning moments of regulation. Junior Deacon guard Tony Rutland appeared to have cinched things for the home team in the seconds prior to Harrison's shot.
With time running down in the extra frame and the Deacons holding the ball for what looked to be the final possession of the period, Rutland took the ball at the top of the key and passed up the chance to feed the ball to senior Tim Duncan in the low post.
Rutland proceeded to juke two State defenders and penetrate into the lane, where he connected on a running jump shot. The basket and ensuing State timeout gave the Deacons a 59-57 lead on the Pack with 3.7 seconds remaining in overtime.
The guests proceeded to inbound the ball and call another timeout to pause the game with 3.2 seconds remaining and allow the visiting team to inbound the ball to Harrison from halfcourt.
The Deacons spent much of the early portion of Sunday's game scrapping with the undersized Wolfpack, and with several minutes gone in the second half the home team appeared to have seized control of the contest.
A Rutland basket moved the Deacon lead to 41-32 with just over 12 minutes remaining.
The Joel Coliseum crowd was then treated to an unlikely hoops clinic compliments of Wolfpack guard/forward Jeremy Hyatt.
Over the next several minutes, spectators witnessed the normally average Hyatt hit free throws, connect on long distance shots, and pour in circus shots from the lane to claw the Pack back into the thick of things. Harrison complimented Hyatt's play with three hoops of his own down the stretch.
A Hyatt basket pulled the Pack to within 45-43 of the Deacons, and the game remained close throughout the remainder of regulation. Junior Jerry Braswell hit two free throws to give the Deacons a 50-48 lead with three minutes remaining, but State guard Justin Gainey stole the ball from Rutland and converted the layup to knot the game at 50 and force the extra period.