RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Ben Middlebrooks made the go-ahead free throw with 11 seconds left to cap N.C. State’s rally from a late seven-point deficit and the Wolfpack defeated Notre Dame 66-65 on Wednesday night.
Marcus Hill’s layup with 1:07 remaining tied the score and Middlebrooks made 1 of 2 free throws nearly a minute later to put the Wolfpack ahead for the first time since 7:40 remained in the second half. Notre Dame’s Markus Burton missed a jumper and Hill rebounded as time ran out.
A 3-pointer by Braeden Shrewsberry gave Notre Dame a seven-point lead with 3 1/2 minutes remaining but the Fighting Irish managed only two points the rest of the way.
Dontrez Styles started N.C. State’s rally with a 3-pointer and Hill’s layup made it a two-point game with 2 1/2 minutes left. Matt Allocco then made two free throws for Notre Dame before the Wolfpack scored the game’s final five points.
Nine of the game’s starters reached double-digits in scoring.
Hill scored 15 points, Jayden Taylor 14, Middlebrooks 11 and Styles 10 for N.C. State (9-6, 2-2 ACC).
Burton scored 15 points, Tae Davis 14, Shrewsberry 13, Allocco 11 and Kebba Njie added 10 points and 11 rebounds for Notre Dame (7-8, 1-3).
There were five lead changes in a 2 1/2-minute stretch late in the first half before Notre Dame went on an 11-0 run to lead 33-23 with a little over a minute remaining. Notre Dame led 33-26 at the break.
N.C. State, which took an 11-10 lead in the series with Notre Dame, hosts North Carolina on Saturday. Up next for Notre Dame is a trip to No. 4 Duke on Saturday.
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