For NC State basketball’s Horne, Middlebrooks, beating Clemson was the stuff of dreams
The ball was in the air as the final few seconds ran out Saturday, Michael O’Connell giving it a victorious fling down the court.
N.C. State had just beaten Clemson, 78-77, at Littlejohn Coliseum. And what a finish in an ACC game that was won on willpower as much as anything.
On the Pack’s last possession, D.J. Horne got a screen from Ben Middlebrooks and got past Clemson’s P.J. Hall and Chase Hunter, twisted into the lane and got off a floating 10-footer, the ball sinking softly into the net for the lead. Just 9.8 seconds were remaining, still enough time for the Tigers to pull out a win.
Middlebrooks was a big part of that final defensive play, too. Hunter straight-lined the ball to the basket with Middlebrooks in front of him and staying vertical defensively in the lane, missing the short shot.
As Clemson fans howled for a foul, O’Connell wound up with the loose ball and got off a high baseball pass toward the other end of the floor. Middlebrooks ran down court, leaning over and slapping the floor with both hands.
“Incredible,” Middlebrooks said of the feeling.
And why not? The 6-10 junior once played for the Tigers, putting on the orange, battling P.J. Hall in practice — and being a part of three Clemson wins over the Wolfpack last season.
Then, Middlebrooks transferred. To N.C. State, after last season. The game Saturday was his first return to Littlejohn and it would be memorable.
Bittersweet perhaps?
“There’s no better feeling,” Middlebrooks said. “I’d definitely say it’s not bittersweet, it’s sweet.
“My team won, so I can’t feel upset about it. It wasn’t too strange in here. I mean, I played a lot of basketball here, but at the end of the day it’s basketball and we had a plan and we fought it through and got the win.”
For the Wolfpack (16-9, 8-6 ACC), it was its first Quad-1 victory of the season. N.C. State was No. 83 in the NET rankings used by the NCAA selection committee — Clemson was No. 25 — and got exactly what it needed.
A week ago, Horne had the ball in his hands at Wake Forest with the Pack down two points and needing a basket in the final seconds. His scrambling jump shot was short, the ball grazing the front of rim as the Deacons won.
Horne had 31 points in the game. To him, it didn’t matter. The Pack lost.
But he got a second chance Saturday. The Tigers led 77-76 and the Wolfpack used a timeout with 16 seconds left to set up the possession.
This time, the shot went in. Horne scored 27 points. This game, that was enough for the Pack to win.
“As a ballplayer those are the moments you dream of,” Horne said. “I can count on my hands countless times when I’m a little kid, just dreaming in my bed about moments like these. To go out here and see it come to fruition means everything.
“Just where we’re at in our season, this was in our eyes a must-win and we came out here and got the job done. And for me personally, just knowing I had an opportunity in the game last week at Wake Forest and I didn’t do it, I knew I had to make this one.”
In a tight game, with victory in the balance, so many plays can make a difference.
Clemson led by 12 points with 10 minutes left in the second half and Littlejohn was loud. The Tigers had won three straight in the ACC, stunning North Carolina in Chapel Hill, and appeared headed to a fourth.
But Jayden Taylor, who did not start for the first time this season, hit a 3-pointer for the Pack. Later, Mohamed Diarra hit a 3 – the third of three by the big man, who had 11 points and nine rebounds. Horne went backdoor for a basket.
After a spinning jumper by Clemson’s Joe Girard made it a 77-73 game, State’s Michael O’Connell scored on a driving layup, crashing to the floor. A free throw by Diarra trimmed the lead to a point.
“This team has got a lot of fight. Our fight is real with these guys, and they believe in one another,” NCSU coach Kevin Keatts said.
Soon, the Pack was huddled in a timeout, setting up in its last possession with 16 seconds showing.
“I’m just taking deep breaths,” Horne said. “I can’t let the pressure get to me. I know that probably everybody in the building knew I’d take the last shot. All I could do was take a deep breath and trust my work.”
This time, the ball went down for Horne. So did the Tigers.
It was time for a late-night ice-cream celebration after the Pack’s biggest road win of the season.
The stop: Insomnia Cookies.
Probably a fitting choice. For the Pack, after such a game, it must have been hard to sleep.
This story was originally published February 18, 2024 at 9:31 AM with the headline "For NC State basketball’s Horne, Middlebrooks, beating Clemson was the stuff of dreams."
