NC State beats Wake Forest, 65-56 — and more

Of all the games NC State has played this season, this was certainly one of them. A dreadful effort from start to finish, where the defensive intensity lacked in the first half and execution at the offensive end was poor throughout, but the lengthy stretches of inconsistency didn’t matter because Wake Forest is just that bad.

You’d think that, given what is on the line, and the fact that this was the last home game of the season, the team might feel a little bit of urgency, but there was none of that, and instead they let a very bad team hang around for no reason.

The game never felt in doubt—Wake Forest has had its inspirational performances against State, but this was not one of them. It was just confusing.

Wake Forest chose to bog this game down by playing 2-3 zone and sending nobody to the offensive glass for the duration. That 2-3 was so bad it reminded my of my days in intramurals, but anyway, NC State just had a rough time executing despite having all kinds of opportunities. The timing was not there, and the results followed.

This team is so frustrating, and I’m not used to getting battered like this at the same time by both sides of NC State basketball. But we carry on.

Feb. 26—BEMIDI — Kirklan Irey has watched the Bemidji State men's hockey team's annual Senior Night celebration three times before this season. Each time, graduating Beavers noted how fast their four (or five) years in college flew by.

Still, this year's Senior Night celebration crept up on Irey.

"I haven't really thought about it too much, but it's crazy to think that these last four years have flown by so fast," he said. "You take it for granted, but it just flies by."

BSU will commence its Senior Day celebration ahead of Saturday's regular-season finale against St. Thomas at 6 p.m. at the Sanford Center.

Eight seniors will be honored: forwards Irey, Reilly Funk, Connor McClennon and Adam Flammang, and defensemen Patrik Satosaari, Mitch Wolfe, A.J. Macaulay and Vince Corcoran.

Flammang will not play against the Tommies this weekend. He is out with a lower-body injury, suffered on Feb. 6 against Ferris State. Flammang is questionable to return in the postseason.

Players will line up on Bemidji State's goal line for the festivities on Friday. They will skate to the bench and be handed a bouquet of flowers, then they'll skate to the opposite end of the ice and give the flowers to their family and friends in attendance.

Players recorded Senior Night interviews that will be shown at the Sanford Center on Saturday night.

"It went by way too fast," Irey said. "We've had our interviews a couple of weeks ago and it was kind of tough looking back at all the memories we made and all of the friendships we made over the last four years."

Senior Night does not always signal the end of collegiate careers. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, college athletes were given an extra year of eligibility. Bemidji State traditionally honored players in their fourth seasons, despite some of them being eligible to return for a fifth.

McClennon is playing in his first season with the Beavers after transferring from the University of Alberta in USports. Despite this being his first NCAA season and only his third in college, McClennon will be out of eligibility unless he successfully appeals.

Macaulay and Funk are the only other two seniors who didn't play four seasons at BSU. Macaulay transferred from Alaska-Fairbanks, while Funk transferred from Northern Michigan. Both seniors played two seasons with the Beavers.

Bemidji State has won its last five games on Senior Day. Its last defeat came on Feb. 29, 2020, against No. 3 Minnesota State.