Post-game Reaction: Grant, Bennerman

Jackets' agony ends:

Ilian Evtimov (17 points, nine rebounds, nine assists) grabbed Bennerman's missed 3-pointer with five seconds left, passing to the right corner, where Gavin Grant, one of N.C. State's least-gifted shooters, caught it.

He made a baseline move, only to remember his team needed a 3-pointer. Too late. Time expired, and the team that triggered the Jackets' longest losing streak in 25 years with an 87-78 win in Raleigh on Jan. 14 lost.

"I was trying to get the ball to Engin [Atsur] or Ilian or Cam, one of our best shooters," Grant said. "I didn't realize how much time was on the clock."

That's the first quotation from Gavin Grant I've been able to find.

Also of interest, from a Chip Alexander post at ACC Now:

"We struggled to come out of the gates," Bennerman said. "The reason we were flat is because of us. It wasn't them. Tech played a good game and beat us. But that's something we'll have to deal with soon because at tournament time we have deal with those type of situations.

"In some of our close games, we played well and it ended up in that situation at the end. In this one, it was all about the first half. We had 15 turnovers in the first half. We can't give up that many opportunities."

How will the Pack respond? It has a home game Wednesday against Florida State.
Said Bennerman, "Everyone has to put it behind us, as hard as it will be."

Not very encouraging comments from Cam.