NC State Beats Wake Forest, 81-66

Box Score

NC State fell behind 12-5 in the early stages, but it outscored Wake 34-12 the rest of the half to take firm control of the game. Richard Howell was limited in the first half by foul trouble, and Scott Wood finished the night just 2-7 from the field. But Calvin Leslie overcame a slow start of his own to finish with 19 points and 10 boards; Rodney Purvis knocked down a trio of three-pointers; and T.J. Warren hit seven of 13 field goal attempts.

NC State led by as many as 24 points in the second half before putting it on autopilot for a while, though the Deacs never seriously threatened. A drama-free evening is always a good thing, and more importantly, it gave Mark Gottfried the opportunity to clear the bench. Senior walk-on Jay Lewis nailed a pull-up three-pointer in the waning minutes, prompting a fantastic celebration from the bench. That was one of those this-is-why-college-sports-are-great moments.

And Jordan Vandenberg got to attempt a three-pointer in a real live game.

Aint scared to shoot the ball #Vanden3 #ZoneBreaker #WoL

— Jordan Vandenberg (@JPV14Wolfpack) March 7, 2013

He's the best.

And now for tonight's champion of the internet: