For better or for worse, NC State men’s basketball has played some exciting games as of late.

In NC State’s last three matchups, the winning and losing teams were only separated by a combined six points — and each contest came down to a final play for all the marbles. But instead of bringing joy, these games have brought Wolfpack fans frustration and disappointment.

Holding a 15-point lead with 13:29 to play, it seemed like the Wolfpack (9-8, 2-4 ACC) would close out the game against Virginia Tech (8-9, 3-3 ACC) and capture its third conference win. Instead, a series of droughts and defensive mistakes let the Hokies back into it.

With a 76-70 lead and less than three minutes to play, the Pack still had control of the game and just needed a few buckets to secure the win and fend off the charging Hokies. Instead, NC State went scoreless allowing a 9-0 Virginia Tech run, and gave up another good chance for a road conference win.

From tipoff, the Pack possessed a golden touch, going 8-13 from beyond the arc and shooting way above its season average of 32%. The Hokies also possessed some of that magic as the first five of six baskets in the game were all scored from behind the 3-point line. Both teams shot above 60% from 3-point range in the first half.

That golden touch dissapeared in the second half as the Wolfpack proceeded to shoot 0-6 from deep. On the other end of the floor, the Hokies knocked down five 3-pointers that allowed them to claw back into the game.

An inability to close games has become a troubling trend for the Wolfpack. It had a chance to defeat rival UNC-Chapel Hill in the final minute with the game tied at 61, but a hero did not emerge in crunch time and Carolina took advantage.

Against Virginia, NC State held a 14-point second-half lead but let the Cavaliers back into the game and ultimately fell apart at the end, choking away another great opportunity for a meaningful victory.

Senior forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield was out of the lineup with a shoulder injury, causing senior forward Ben Middlebrooks and junior forward Ismaël Diouf to see an elevated role. Huntley-Hatfields rebounding ability was missed as the Pack was out-rebounded 21-12 in the second half. Middlebrooks scored 13 points but only collected two rebounds and was in foul trouble for the final 10 minutes of the game.

Senior guard Jayden Taylor led the Wolfpack with 17 points, shooting 3-6 from deep in the first half. Despite struggles from the 3-point line in the second half, Taylor hustled and fought for six second-half points. But along with the rest of the Pack, the final eight minutes were disjointed, unproductive and ultimately not good enough.

NC State will next face off against the struggling California Golden Bears (8-9, 1-5 ACC) at the Lenovo Center on Saturday at 6 p.m.