NC State men’s basketball let a win in Coral Gables, Florida slip out of its hands late, falling 80-73 to the Miami Hurricanes in the Wolfpack’s second ACC matchup of the season.

Despite playing from behind for the larger part of the game, the Hurricanes (10-1, 2-0 ACC) surged back in the final five minutes to take their first lead since the 18-minute mark in the first half. Even with another pair of great performances from sophomore Terquavion Smith and graduate student Jarkel Joiner in the backcourt, the Wolfpack (8-3, 0-2 ACC) went cold at the worst time.

Ending the game on an 18-6 run, Miami couldn’t be slowed in the game’s dying moments — with the backcourt duo of Isaiah Wong and Jordan Miller carrying the bulk of the Hurricanes’ late offensive load. A seven-point loss doesn’t tell the whole story of the game however, with NC State controlling the pace up until when it mattered most.

Smith, Joiner and graduate center D.J. Burns headlined a dominant first-half performance from the red-and-white, with each posting double digits in the scoring column and Smith pacing the team with 16 first-half points. Joiner added his 10 from inside the 3-point arc and Burns’ 10 points, six rebounds and two blocks in the period were a welcomed sight for a team that just lost its starting center indefinitely.

Holding its breath when graduate center Dusan Mahorcic went down awkwardly in the Pack’s last outing against Coppin State, NC State broke the news of his extended absence in the days following — with the Serbian suffering a patella injury that requires surgery. Even though Isaiah Miranda’s commitment to join the team in the coming week provides some hope at the five for the remainder of the season, with Miranda being a top-30 prospect in the 2023 class and NC State’s first 7-footer since Omer Yurtseven in 2017-18, Burns filled the starting role admirably in the meantime.

Miami clawed back late in the first half to shrink the Wolfpack’s 16-point lead at the 7:35 mark down to nine heading into the break. Even with a quick pair of 3-pointers that closed the margin to three points in NC State’s favor, Miami struggled to find an answer for Joiner early in the half.

Rattling home seven of NC State’s eight shots in the second half at the 11:03 mark, Joiner had quickly surpassed Smith as the team’s leading scorer and looked unstoppable. Even with his individual success, the Wolfpack found itself ahead by only five as the period reached its halfway mark with Wong and Miller hitting a stride they struggled to find in the first half.

After scoring a career-high 36 points against Cornell in the Hurricanes’ previous matchup, Wong stepped up late to finish the game with 22 points on 8-13 shooting from the field and 50% from beyond the arc, eight assists and five rebounds. Outshining the Preseason First-Team All ACC selection, Miller led Miami with 25 points on 8-15 shooting from the field with five rebounds and three assists.

In a battle of excellence from each team’s elite backcourt, Miami ultimately prevailed through its ability to increase the tempo when it mattered most against an NC State side that ran out of fresh legs after graduate forward Jack Clark fouled out of the game. Despite 26 points, four rebounds and four assists from Joiner and 19 points, four rebounds and seven assists from Smith, the Pack couldn’t match Miami’s intensity at every level.

Poor shot selection down the stretch, an inability to get out in front on transition defense and the continued lack of quality from the charity stripe ultimately killed the Pack’s hopes of an important conference win on the road. In a game where both teams shot 45% from the floor and around the 33% mark from deep, free throws mattered more than ever. NC State’s 58.3% efficiency from the line paled in comparison to the Canes’ 82.4%. When they weren’t cashing in on free points, the Hurricanes were torching the Wolfpack in transition, outscoring NC State 21-9 on the break.

Losing an incredibly athletic big man like Mahorcic played a large role in the Pack’s late defensive struggles, especially with Burns clocking a season-high 31 minutes — well over his previous high of 22 in NC State’s ACC opener against Pitt. With the added time on the court, Burns finished the afternoon as the Pack’s third and final double-digit scorer with 16 points on 50% from the field, eight rebounds, two assists and two blocks.

Looking ahead, NC State gets a pair of outings against Furman on Dec. 13 in PNC Arena and a Dec. 17 matchup in Chicago against Vanderbilt, which just dropped a buy game to Grambling State, to prepare for its next ACC matchup against Louisville — a team that ranks as one of the worst squads in college basketball. Getting Miranda up to speed during this period will be a top priority as the Pack heads into the thick of its conference schedule at the start of the new year in hopes of head coach Kevin Keatts making his second NCAA Tournament appearance with NC State.