When Boston College head coach Jim Christian called his first timeout less than two minutes into the game Wednesday night after NC State took a quick 6-2 lead, it appeared the Wolfpack was going to cruise to victory in its last game in 2020.

The Pack grew its lead to 12-2 by the first media timeout and led by as much as 15 points late in the first half, but Wednesday night was far from an easy victory.

Boston College (2-6, 0-2 ACC) clawed its way back in the second half and even took a one-point lead into the last minute of the game, but NC State (6-1, 2-0 ACC) kept its poise and found a way to hold on for a 79-76 victory.

“I told these guys if you're going to win a championship, and I've been a part of a lot of them, you're going to have to win every type of game,” Wolfpack head coach Kevin Keatts said. “You're going to have to win the game when you're up 20, you got to win a game that's maybe a buzzer-beater, you're going to have to win a game when the league goes back and forth.”

The Wolfpack greatly benefited from the return of one of its key veteran players, fifth-year senior forward DJ Funderburk. After not playing since Dec. 3, Funderburk was back in the lineup Wednesday after missing nearly a month in COVID protocol.

The 6-10, 225-pounder made his presence known early with a hot start on the offensive end. Funderburk finished with a season-high 21 points, 17 of which came in the first half on 6-of-7 shooting from the field, his lone miss a three-pointer that didn’t necessarily earn Keatts’ stamp of approval.

“He had two outstanding practices,” Keatts said. “DJ is a much better player when he plays inside-out. I gave him one of those Kevin Keatts stares when he took that three in the corner. Not that I don't give those guys the freedom to take shots, but I thought we could have got a better shot.

“I thought he was tremendous. It's taken him a little bit of time. He's been out a little longer than everybody else, but I will say he worked himself to get back in shape to be able to have this type of game. We needed him. We needed him with Manny out.”

Funderburk’s presence became even more crucial when redshirt sophomore center Manny Bates, who has been sensational for the Pack in Funderburk’s absence over the past three contests, left the game and never returned with an apparent left leg injury. Keatts explained after the game that it was a coach’s decision to not put Bates back in the game and that he will undergo an MRI.

Funderburk quickly picked up two fouls early in the second half and picked up his fourth of the game with just under 11 minutes remaining, sidelining him for much of the closing half, but the fifth-year senior was still able to finish the contest as the Pack’s leading scorer. He also had five rebounds and two steals.

“In the first half, I don’t think they expected me to play as much,” Funderburk said. “That’s just how the game felt with me. In the second half, they made some adjustments. I started getting hit with two people at times. Steffon Mitchell was super tenacious on the rebounds, he was just starting to give it to me a little more on the boards. They definitely made some adjustments out of halftime trying to stop me.”

Funderburk said it felt good to return to the lineup after missing the Pack’s last three games. Although he was nervous about his conditioning entering the contest, he left the night happy with his performance and confident in the Pack’s 2-0 conference record heading into 2021.

“I think we're right where we need to be,” Funderburk said. “I know I always say that but I think we're right where we need to be. We're 2-0 in the conference, you can't ask for anything more. We're blessed with the games we have been able to play, we're just going to keep focusing on one game at a time and worry about what we need to do better.”

Freshman guard Shakeel Moore had his breakout performance last Tuesday night in the 79-76 win over North Carolina. The 6-1, 180-pounder from Greensboro earned ACC Freshman of the Week honors for scoring 17 points in 15 minutes against the Tar Heels.

When it came down to crunch time in that game, however, Keatts kept Moore on the bench, electing to go with an all-veteran cast with a precious victory over the Pack’s most-hated rival on the line.

The Wolfpack head coach didn’t have the luxury to make that decision Wednesday night. Moore played a season-high 26 minutes in the win, including the final eight minutes of the contest.

When senior guard Braxton Beverly fouled out of the game with four minutes to go, Keatts was left with little choice but to entrust his freshman guard in a tight battle with an always-valuable ACC game at stake.

It worked out for the best.

Moore made both of NC State’s baskets in the final minute, including a game-winning pull-up jumper from the top of the key with 26 seconds remaining to give the Pack a one-point lead it would ultimately hang on to.

“I put in work every day, I'm in the gym every day, after practice hours,” Moore said. “I think it's important to not only get better with the team, but work on yourself. I think the confidence comes from me taking the time to work when nobody's paying attention. When nobody's looking.”

Moore finished the night with 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including a 1-of-2 mark on three-point attempts. He also led the team with four steals, grabbed two rebounds and had one assist.

In the past three games, Moore has gone a combined 6-of-8 from beyond the arc and is averaging 25.1 points per 40 minutes of play.

“He's worked hard,” Keatts said. “Our staff has worked extremely hard. It's really hard for us right now to get guys who are McDonald's All-Americans, so we have to take guys that people kind of overlook. They're NC State guys. They're tough, they punch the clock, they're hard workers. He's put a lot of work into becoming a better offensive player.

“He was great. I don't know what other freshmen would step up and take that shot with all of those upperclassmen on the floor. He stepped up and made a really huge shot for us. Just like any freshman, when we got the steel and we kicked it to him, I wanted him to kick it to DJ. But hell, he's a freshman, so he didn't know any better. He went in there and, I don't know if he got it blocked, but the basket went in. Give him credit for putting extra work in.”

Junior forward Jericole Hellems’ defensive lockdown of UNC’s Garrison Brooks in the win over the Tar Heels last Tuesday was overshadowed by his offensive struggles. Hellems went 0-of-8 from the field that night and finished the game with just one point.

The 6-7, 205-pounder found his stroke against Boston College, however. Hellems finished with 20 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including a big response three-pointer with five minutes remaining just 30 seconds after the Eagles took their first lead of the night.

He also had a team-high six defensive rebounds and came up big on the defensive end in the second half when Funderburk picked up his fourth foul and Bates out of the game.

“I was happy for Jericole,” Keatts said. “He played so hard against Carolina. A lot of times kids don't realize how hard they play or how well they play because a lot of times they don't get a write up because they didn't play well offensively. It was good to see him play good defensively but get rewarded because he scored the basketball.

“He's a kid that everybody's going to tell you he's not quick enough, doesn't jump high enough, but if you watch him and the value that he brings to this team, it's so much because he's tough. He can switch one through four. He's going to play against bigger guys this year. We've got three veteran interior guys, and I consider him one of them. As we try to develop E.B. Dowuona and Jaylon Gibson, he's going to play a lot of minutes for us. And a lot of times he's going to be the smaller guy in the fight, but I always go with him because he's going to always win the fight.”

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