SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- C.J. Bryce scored 23 points and No. 17 North Carolina State withstood several second-half challenges from Notre Dame for a 77-73 victory Saturday.
Devon Daniels scored 15 points, including four free throws in the final minute, and Torin Dorn had 13 for the Wolfpack (15-3, 3-2 Atlantic Coast Conference). N.C. State rebounded from a four-point loss Tuesday at Wake Forest. D.J. Funderburk added 11 points.
TJ Gibbs hit three free throws and John Mooney dunked on the next possession to get Notre Dame (11-7, 1-4) within 75-73 with 17 seconds left. Daniels answered with two free throws, though, and Gibbs missed a 3 on the next possession with 7 seconds left.
Freshman Dane Goodwin tied his career high with 19 points -- 17 in the second half -- and Mooney got his ACC-leading 10th double-double with 19 points and 16 rebounds for the Fighting Irish. Gibbs added 13 points, and D.J. Harvey scored 10.
A floater down the lane by Dorn with 33 seconds left gave the Wolfpack a 37-35 halftime lead.
Back-to-back 3-pointers by Bryce and Braxton Beverly put N.C. State ahead 45-39, and Notre Dame coach Mike Brey called timeout with 17:45 left. The Irish rallied to within 54-53 on seven straight points by Goodwin, but Bryce’s 3-pointer made it 57-53 with 11:37 to play.
The Irish got to within one again, 62-61, on Mooney’s slam with 8:26 remaining. But the Wolfpack had a 7-2 run over the next 5:19 to grab a 69-63 lead.
BIG PICTURE
NC State: The Wolfpack set season lows in field-goal percentage (37 percent) and 3-point shooting (20.7 percent) in the 71-67 loss at Wake Forest. They beat the Irish with 43.5 percent shooting, including 36.8 percent from deep.
Notre Dame: Fighting Irish again endured scoring droughts at inopportune times -- going 2:31 while hitting 2 of 12 in the first half, then pulling within one with 8:26 to play and going more than three minutes without a field goal.