Year in Review: Ranking the best games of the 2022-23 athletic season

The 2022-23 school year has been a wild ride for NC State Athletics — but we wouldn’t want it any other way. Just in case you missed anything, our editors have compiled a ranked list of the Pack’s best games this year. 

15. Football rallies to overcome 18-point deficit against Virginia Tech

Following a dismal 24-9 loss to Syracuse, NC State football was in desperate need of someone to fill the shoes of redshirt junior quarterback Devin Leary, who was injured in the game prior. Against the Hokies, freshman quarterback MJ Morris stepped up to throw three touchdowns in twenty minutes of play to lift the Wolfpack to victory despite being down 21-3 in the third quarter. 

14. Softball takes down No. 8 Clemson at Dail

After dropping the first two games in the series, NC State softball defeated No. 8 Clemson in a 7-5 victory. Led by a three-run homer from Amanda Hasler in the first inning, the momentum in the Wolfpack batter's box did not slow down as the game progressed. Redshirt junior right-handed pitcher Aisha Weixlmann recorded five strikeouts against the Tigers and pitched three no-run innings. 

 13. Volleyball sweeps Indiana in non-conference match  

An early-season matchup in Reynolds Coliseum saw NC State volleyball sweep the Indiana Hoosiers 3-0, with multiple players hitting the double digits in kills. Graduate student opposite hitter Vanja Bukilic racked up 13 kills throughout the three sets, followed close behind by sophomore outside hitter Martyna Leoniak with 12. The court was buzzing with anticipation for the new season, and the team looked like one well-oiled machine as it served up aces and dominated at the net. 

12. Men’s tennis turns Chapel Hill into home match, upsets Heels 4-1

The NC State-UNC rivalry never seems to disappoint, no matter the sport. This go-round, NC State men’s tennis upset the Heels 4-1 for one of its biggest wins of the season. By the end, Carolina fans were dwarfed by the Wolfpack faithful who journeyed to Chapel Hill, making for an electric atmosphere.

11. LuJames Groover saves baseball’s season with walk-off against Louisville

If NC State ends up making the NCAA Tournament and going on a significant run, the team could very well look back on its series-opening win over Louisville as the moment that saved the season. Trailing 5-4 in the bottom of the ninth, junior third baseman LuJames Groover came through clutch with the bases loaded, nailing a base hit that scored the winning two runs and earned the Pack the first of two huge wins over the No. 11 Cardinals.

10. Football knocks off rival Wake Forest to tie record for consecutive home wins

In his first career start, MJ Morris dazzled Wolfpack fans, throwing for 210 yards and three touchdowns. Meanwhile, NC State’s defense locked down the Demon Deacons, allowing just 17 rushing yards the whole game. The end result was a 30-21 victory that tied a school record for 16 consecutive home wins.

9. Men’s basketball destroys No. 16 Duke at PNC Arena

In a contest where many expected the Pack to be defeated by a talented Duke squad, the red-and-white flipped the script and defeated the Blue Devils 88-66. Sophomore guard Terquavion Smith and graduate guard Jarkel Joiner each put on stellar performances, scoring 24 and 21 points, respectively. 

8. Joseph’s buzzer-beating goal gifts women’s soccer win over Campbell

While all signs pointed to a less-than-exciting 0-0 draw, senior forward Jameese Joseph made this one an instant classic with her walk-off goal against Campbell. With less than 10 seconds in the game, Joseph called game with a buzzer-beating goal to send the Camels home shocked, and Dail Soccer Field into a frenzy.

7. Wrestling wins fifth consecutive ACC title

NC State wrestling continued its dominant reign over the ACC this year, earning five individual conference champions and a team score of 101.5, the highest at the ACC Championships since 2007. The championship was head coach Pat Poplizio’s sixth at NC State, an extra-special victory considering the Pack hosted the ACC Championships in Reynolds Coliseum. 

6. Women’s basketball defeats top-ranked Notre Dame

In front of a sold-out crowd at Reynolds Coliseum, the Pack took down the then No. 7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish to extend its win streak to three games. After a rocky start to the new year, the red-and-white restored its fan’s faith with a thrilling 69-65 victory. 

5. Football shocks Seminoles in rollercoaster game

An ugly win, a lucky last play — whatever you want to call it, NC State football’s 19-17 win over FSU was one to remember, for better or for worse. While many remember it as the game redshirt junior quarterback Devin Leary went down with a season-ending injury, many others remember it for sophomore defensive back Devan Boykin’s miraculous game-winning interception to steal an near-guaranteed win from the Seminoles.      

4. Men’s basketball stuns Miami in overtime thriller

Out for revenge after an early season loss, NC State won a 83-81 dogfight over the future Final Four-bound Hurricanes. Fueled by its backcourt, the Pack took a sizable lead into halftime before Miami clawed back in the game, but sophomore forward Ernest Ross saved the day with his clutch overtime performance.

 3. Women’s basketball wins overtime thriller against UNC in “small gym”

In a primetime rematch between NC State’s and UNC’s women’s basketball teams, the Wolfpack came back from a 10-point deficit in order to take down the rival Tar Heels. Senior wing Jakia Brown-Turner and sophomore guard Aziaha James both racked up points in the double digits, with James leading the team on a furious comeback down the stretch. Reynolds Coliseum was lit up by a sold-out crowd of Wolfpack faithful, and their energy helped the Pack outscore UNC 15-4 in OT. 

2. Ben Finley leads football to improbable win over UNC in Carter-Finley West

While the 2022 NC State football season didn’t go nearly the way many had hoped, the Pack managed to salvage the season and end on a high note with its thrilling double overtime win over North Carolina. The win came in the unlikeliest fashion: on the road against the No. 17 team in the country, and it was a fourth-string quarterback — redshirt freshman Ben Finley — who out-dueled UNC’s Heisman-hopeful Drake Maye in the renamed “Carter-Finley West.”

 1. Men’s basketball knocks off UNC behind electric, late-game surge

It had been 10 long years since NC State beat North Carolina in front of fans at PNC Arena, and the roof nearly exploded during the Pack’s electric 77-69 win on Feb. 19. Graduate guard Jarkel Joiner made sure NC State fans went home happy, leading the Pack on an exhilarating surge down the stretch and doing his part in ensuring the preseason No. 1 Tar Heels missed the NCAA Tournament.