Johnson, Wolfpack Rise to the Occasion
Nobody had to tell Markell Johnson that he didn't play well in Saturday's loss at Clemson.
But that didn't stop a multitude of nameless, faceless people on social media from letting the NC State basketball star hear about it, anyway.
Johnson even got called out by his coach, Kevin Keatts, who said in his postgame comments that he needed his senior point guard to be "the quarterback on the floor when things are not going well."
It's a challenge Johnson clearly took to heart.
Because Wednesday, despite battling back spasms that briefly knocked him out of the game, he was the kind of leader the shorthanded Wolfpack needed -- and then some -- in carrying his team to a 73-68 victory against Notre Dame at PNC Arena.
Johnson tied a career high with 27 points while adding seven rebounds and three steals, along with three key free throws to close out the Irish in the final minute.
He also got help from big man D.J. Funderburk, who provided 16 points, nine rebounds the the jolt of energy State needed to overcome a series of adversities and rally for a badly needed conference win.
"I just wanted to be the best guard on the floor today," Johnson said afterward. "Over the past couple of games I haven't been myself. I just wanted to get back to that."
As for the challenge from Keatts after the Clemson game, Johnson said it had a direct effect on his performance against the Irish.
"Coach Keatts is a motivator," he said. "Whatever he says to me I take to heart."
The fact that Johnson was able to put his team on his back and carry it to the finish line was all the more impressive considering that he was taken to the locker room late in the first half with what was described as back spasms.
He took a few extra minutes to stretch it out in the locker room while his teammates came back to the court to warm up for the second half before going out and playing 19 of the final 20 minutes.
Like Johnson's back, it took a little while for the Wolfpack (11-4, 2-2 ACC) to get loosened up.
It took State 3 1/2 minutes to score its first points, allowing Notre Dame (10-5, 1-3) to expand a 39-34 halftime lead into a commanding 12-point advantage.
Playing its third straight game without leading scorer C.J. Bryce, who has still not been cleared from concussion protocol, with Johnson battling his back issue, backcourt mate Braxton Beverly having turned his ankle and freshman big man Manny Bates gone down briefly with a leg cramp, the Wolfpack seemed headed for a distastrous result.
But that changed with one unusual sequence with 14 1/2 minutes remaining.
It started with Devon Daniels scoring on a drive to the rim to cut the deficit to 51-41 as Notre Dame's John Mooney was whistled for a foul away from the play. The call gave the ball right back to State, allowing Funderburk to make free throws and complete what was essentially a four-point play.
And the comeback was officially underway.
It's a rally Funderburk said was fueled by "energy and staying together" while Notre Dame was making its runs.
"We came out in the first four minutes of the second half and we were playing terrible," said Funderburk, who scored 12 of his 16 points and grabbed all nine of his rebounds after halftime. "So we tried to pick it up a litlte, get our energy up and we came out with the win."
The 6-foot-11 junior provided most of that energy with an inspired performance best summed up by what was perhaps the most pivotal possession of the game. It came with just over six minutes remaining and the Wolfpack down by five.
Twice, State missed 3-point jumpers and both times Funderburk came up with the offensive rebound, On the second one, he literally came flying in from the top of the circle to pull the ball away from a Notre Dame player.
He then turned and fed the ball back out to the perimeter to Beverly, who calmly knocked down his 3-point attempt to pull the Wolfpack to within 60-58.
"We give up two offensive rebounds and then Beverly hits a three," Irish coach Mike Brey said with a painful chuckle. "That's like the basketball gods are saying: 'Now you don't deserve to win.' told our guys, you've got to get that one."
Brey might be onto something, because after three unsuccessful attempts at taking the lead, State finally got over the hump Funderburk hit a pair of free throws with 1:37 remaining.
Johnson took over from there, converting a Jericole Hellems steal into a difficult driving layup in traffic, then making three of his final four free throws -- an area that has been troublesome for him lately -- to salt the win away.
Between them, Johnson and Funderburk -- both of whom are from Ohio -- combined to score their team's final 15 points.
"A lot of people in Cleveland are proud tonight with the two Cleveland boys playing together," Keatts said. "D.J. was the only guy on our roster that I felt like hadn't had a breakout game, one of those big games where we could say he made a difference. He was a huge difference in this game.
"Those two guys playing well together .. .Markell finds him. It was exciting basketball to watch when D.J. Funderburk was flying around."
