It is a simple enough plot. NC State upset UNC in Raleigh in what many Wolfpack fans harkened as a return to the glory days of Jim Valvano. Sidney Lowe, point guard on the 1983 NCAA title team, donned a red sports jacket and slayed the beast from Chapel Hill. Why? Because Lowe understands what the UNC game means unlike that other guy who is coaching somewhere out west now. Now, UNC would like to set the record straight and we can only hope the suit is in attendance so we can drop it to 1-1 on the season.
Live blogging after the jump.
8:41 PM: Virginia Tech is killing Boston College. It was 36-32 Hokies at the half, now it is 70-48.
8:47 PM: Wow. BC's Tyrelle Blair just tried to kill Deron Washington. I said it during the UNC game and I will say it again. The thug ratio on BC is pretty high and Al Skinner should be ashamed of himself for leaving Blair in the game after that.
8:49 PM: VT just had Vasallo foul out with 18 points in a game they are leading by 24. That strikes me as odd.
8:52 PM: I flipped over to the Louisville-St. John's game and the Red Storm player just went up for what was supposed to be a monster dunk except he was too far from the rim to he follows three and basically throws the ball out of bounds. Funny thing was Len Elmore was in mid-sentence at the time and he started cracking up.
8:54 PM: ESPN's Doug Gottlieb is such a moron. First of all he is talking about how VT "sent a message" I wonder what message they were sending against NC State on Sunday? Secondly, he is claiming BC is not a lock for the NCAA Tournament. How can they not be a lock they had 9 wins in the ACC which everyone says is so tough.
8:56 PM: Ohio State down to Penn State at the half. They should come back but I think right now the Big 10 heavyweights are paper tigers to some extent.
9:05 PM: Okay for some reason we went right into the game out of the commerical.
9:06 PM: UNC up 2-0. Lots of ball pressure from UNC which is a notable difference from the first game.
9:07 PM: State already has three misses from three point range. On Sunday they had four total. Grant with the dunk for 2-2 tie.
9:08 PM: It is not like NC Sttae has not had open looks, they just are missing them.
9:09 PM: Billy Packer becomes the 106th analyst to say he thinks Roy is paring down the rotation despite Roy saying over and over he is not doing that.
9:10 PM: UNC up 7-5 at the 1st TV Timeout. Major difference from 18 days ago is UNC's defense is better and it should be noted the crowd has defintely shown up.
9:14 PM: Sidney Lowe is wearing The Red Jacket.
9:15 PM: UVa and Miami tied with 4 minutes left in Coral Gables. In Chapel Hill UNC 7 NC State 6.
9:16 PM: It would be nice if some of these shots would fall. Ellington steals and scores to put UNC up three.
9:19 PM: Maybe it's me but Wright seems to be shooting FTs better. UNC up 12-8.
9:20 PM: Frasor and Miller are on the floor at the same time. In fact this is pretty close to the lineup that beat State by 24 last year.
9:21 PM: The Red Jacket is doing what he did 18 days ago and calls a timeout when it looks like UNC is about to go on a run. Deon Thompson did a great job to tip the missed free throw out and Frasor kicked it over to Ginyard for the three. UNC 16 NCSU 11.
9:22 PM: You might want to put a body on Atsur before he ends up killing us. UNC 16-14 at the 2nd TV timeout.
9:26 PM: Another weird stretch of Lawson not being in the game. Roy opting for Frasor's experience. Pack hitting three again to take the lead and now NC State up three on the Grant jumper.
9:27 PM: Thompson cuts it to one and UNC forces an NC State timeout with a trap.
9:28 PM: Thank you Billy Packer for reminding me of the 1983 ACC Semifinal. Could you also rake be across some razors too?
9:29 PM: NC State up five now because Atsur cannot miss and UNC quite frankly cannot hit.
9:30 PM: I just do not get how NC State is 14-11 when hitting three pointers like they have against UNC and VT. NC State 28 NC State 24.
9:31 PM: How was that a foul? Lawson was standing there with his hands up, Atsur falls off balanced trying to grab the rebound and they call Lawson for a foul.
9:32 PM: Terry upset with the call. I just do not think it is a good idea to let NC State hang around here. If UNC would have shot halfway decent early on they could have opened up a big lead but the shots are not falling and NC State is getting some open looks which for reasons that past understanding they simply are not missing. If I were an NC State fan, I would be asking why this team does not play this well against everyone they play not just UNC and VT.
9:35 PM: What is the deal with this rebounding problem. UNC cannot control the boards against two of the worst rebounding teams in the ACC: VT and NC State.
9:36 PM: Quentin Thomas on the floor now. NC State is a little winded so pushing the pace would be a great idea right now.
9:37 PM: UVa went down to Miami and choked away the first place tie. It would behoove UNC to take care of business here. NCSU 29 UNC 28.
9:38 PM: Since QT hit the basket we are now getting the obligatory "Thomas Is So Improved After Struggling Last Season" discussion. I think it is in the Raycom contract.
9:39 PM: Heels lead 30-29 now. This would be a great time for a run which McCauley promptly helps out by committing a foul off the ball.
9:40 PM: Horner looks like he is 12 but hits two FTs for a one point lead.
9:42 PM: If Ginyard is the best defender then put him in and have him guard Atsur.
9:43 PM: Thomas with the huge alley-oop to Wright. Packer saw it coming, he kept saying "Oh no, oh no" as Thomas entered the lane. That was all preciptated by Thomas blocking Atsur which started the breaking.
9:44 PM: Lowe just used another timeout to try and stop the UNC run. Atsur called for a foul and if you can read lips you can clearly make out him saying "Bulls--t" I wonder how you say that in Turkish?
9:49 PM: Well it was all ball until the part where he grab his arm after the block. Wright FT shooting has returned to form. UNC up three.
9:50 PM: Message board check: At IC the discussion is leaning heavily on the substitution pattern. At Pack Pride they are complaining that UNC players are fouling everyone and NC State players are being called for ticky tack fouls.
9:52 PM: Well that was a waste of 35 seconds. UNC gets a bad shot at the end of the shot clock. Pack up one, under a minute.
9:53 PM: I wish I had arms as long as Wright. Be nice to go in the locker room ahead in this one.
9:54 PM: Wow. Frasor hits the rim from halfcourt. UNC 41 NC State 40.
NC State is ion shaky ground. They have foul problems and the pace has been fairly frenetic. The rebounds are even which probably should not be the case. State hit 5-11 from three point range, mostly from Atsur and Costner. The UNC lineup carousel had lent itself to some inconsistency in the offense for UNC. It would not suprise me to see UNC open things up in a huge way in the second half.
10:03 PM: Someone please explain to me what goes on down in Coral Gables? It seems like Miami can beat just about anyone down there. That was a surprising loss for UVa and one they are really going to wish they had back.
10:10 PM: Sidney Lowe is back in the lockeroom and Monte Towe will apparently coach the team. And now Packer is talking about which coach will be credited with the win...please stop beating that horse.
10:12 PM: I wonder if Herb Sendek is available to coach the rest of the game.
10:13 PM: Naturally there will be some of the Wolfpack fringe who will use Lowe's absence as an excuse should NC State lose this game.
10:15 PM: Terry really needs to make a difference and so far he really hasn't
10:16 PM: Maybe Terry is right about the ball not lying.
10:17 PM: Geez...24 feet out and it goes in. Wright answers back to put UNC back up 47-45.
10:18 PM: Terry starting make plays now which usually gets the Heels rolling. 1st TV timeout of the 2nd half. UNC 49 NCSU 45.
10:21 PM: UNC defense starting to run. Lowe at UNC Hospitals with dehydration.
10:22 PM: Run, run, run. UNC now up eight and Monte Towe wants to try and stop UNC from running away with it.
10:23 PM: I am not sure State can come back in this one. Lowe being out obviously is a distraction and the pace is wearing State out.
10:26 PM: Okay Hansbrough has the ball tipped and they call him for a walk. Fells shuffles his feet before hitting a three and they call nothing. UNC 57 NCSU 52.
10:28 PM: State is making all sorts of lazy passes in the half court offense. State has gotten sloppy and that is nothing but fast break for UNC. Heels up 60-52.
10:33 PM: Lawson puts UNC up 11!
10:35 PM: I think Lowe should have least given Towe, The Red Jacket
10:36 PM: Packer says, "You can call this game over" while I was thinking it. Needless to say I am extremely disturbed by this turn of events.
10:37 PM: The Wolfpack legs are gone. UNC is up 12 now and the Pack has nothing left to mount any kind of comeback.
10:38 PM: So does this mean that Roy's all time record versus The Red Jacket will be 1-1 if UNC wins or does he not get credit since The Red Jacket was only out there for half the game?
10:39 PM: Seriously, I hope Lowe feels better. Dehydration is nasty stuff.
10:41 PM: Packer just said something about Sidney Lowe changing defenses before realizing that he is a moron.
10:43 PM: Roy is relaxed now. He is sharing a smile with Terry on the bench.
10:44 PM: UNC got about six points from the bench 18 days ago, tonight they have over 20 off the bench.
10:45 PM: Wright is having a monster game, thought despite Packer's assertion he can handle the ball, he really should not.
10:47 PM: On the Pack Pride message board they are convinced State is being killed on the board because of the foul trouble. Actually they are getting killed on the board because (1) They are one of the worst rebounding teams in the ACC playing one of the best and (2) their legs are gone.
10:49 PM: I am sitting here wondering what happened to Ben McCauley? All we heard three weeks ago was how he was Hansbrough's equal. Not so, at least not tonight.
10:50 PM: It is wrong to want to win by 20 here? I just want some serious blood on these guys.
10:51 PM: Costner fouls out, Heels up 19.
10:52 PM: The play-by-play guy here keeps interchanging between Hansbrough and Hansborough. Needless to say he just made the list.
10:54 PM: So I guess Atsur being all up in his body is not a foul. Duly noted.
10:56 PM: Miller for 3! Good confidence builder for him. UNC by 21.
10:57 PM: Roy calls of the dogs and UNC wins it by 19.
10:59 PM: It was a matter of superior depth and defensive intensity in the second half. The legs were just fresher for UNC in the second stanza and NC State seemed to be out of sync and out of sorts during the final 20 minutes.
11:02 PM: WRAL's lead story was that Sidney Lowe went to the hospital. People it's the flu, it happens to any number of people every day, especially those sitting on the bench at a basketball game where it is undoubtedly hot.