NC State men’s basketball secured a hard-fought 82-76 win over Georgia Tech at PNC Arena on Saturday, Feb. 3.

Feeding off the momentum of its strong performance against Miami, NC State (15-7, 7-4 ACC) managed to do just enough to fend off a feisty Yellow Jackets squad (10-12, 3-8 ACC). Both teams created scoring runs throughout the first half, but neither could create separation. Coming out of halftime, the Pack went back to work and utilized key contributions offensively and defensively to pull out the win.

“Every win we can get in the ACC is a good win,” said junior guard Jayden Taylor. “We didn’t underestimate them; we knew they could come in here and get a win if we didn’t play well.”

From the jump, NC State wasted no time offensively, attacking the rim and knocking down shots from beyond the arc. The Pack enjoyed a quick 13-4 lead in just over the first four minutes of play. Despite shooting 42% from the field in the game’s opening minutes, the offense quickly went cold as the Pack went five minutes without a basket from the floor. This allowed Georgia Tech to go on a 9-2 run to bring the score to 15-13 in favor of the Pack.

Just halfway through the first half, Taylor broke through to put an end to the drought by cashing in on an impressive and-one layup. On the ensuing possession, he made a heads-up play, stealing the inbound pass and putting it up for a quick layup. A few possessions later, he drilled a 3-pointer to give him eight points in less than two minutes of play to put NC State ahead 25-15.

The momentum did not remain with the Pack though; it went cold from the field once again. The Yellow Jackets scored a fast break 3-pointer — their first field goal in over two minutes. This sparked an 11-0 run as Georgia Tech knotted the game up at 29 apiece. The Pack quickly got the lead back as graduate guard Michael O’Connell forced a steal and dished it out to graduate guard DJ Horne, who drilled a 3-pointer. However, the lead didn’t last long — Georgia Tech continued to shoot the ball well and grabbed a 36-35 lead heading into the half.

The Yellow Jackets opened the second half quickly, outscoring NC State 8-3 in the first two minutes. With the Pack in desperate need of an answer, Horne delivered with a tricky and-one jumper to bring the score to within three. This sparked a 12-0 run, which included a key triple from Horne, whose success proved crucial to the red-and-white. Horne ended his night with 26 points and four 3-pointers.

The Pack’s response was halted by Yellow Jackets guard Miles Kelly, who proved hard to guard all game, finishing with 20 points, including four 3-pointers. However, this did little to disrupt NC State’s momentum as it continued to prove versatile on different parts of the court, including key shots from graduate guard Casey Morsell in the paint and a nifty assist to Taylor to stretch the score out to 62-48.

Despite a 14-point difference with a little less than nine minutes remaining, Georgia Tech continued to battle back. In the next 4:19, the Jackets battled back by hitting multiple tough shots. In the meantime, Taylor proved to be a vital counterweight as he scored seven more points in response to the Jackets’ late surge as the score stood at 71-58. He finished the day with an assertive 21 points, which included a trio of 3-pointers and seven rebounds.

“[Taylor’s] always aggressive,” Morsell said. “Whenever he goes in every game with that mindset, it is big for our team.”

Even though Taylor’s efforts helped keep the Pack’s lead safe, the Jackets continued to find opportunities with two more 3-pointers hitting paydirt. This included one from guard Naithan George, a vital cog in Georgia Tech’s attack as he finished with 18 points. These shots brought the score to 71-65 with a little more than two minutes remaining.

Nursing a narrow late-game lead, the Pack found success at the free throw line by going 9-10 at the charity stripe. This proved to be vital as Georgia Tech made multiple shots that continued to trim the lead. Despite the Pack’s lead being knocked down to four, Morsell launched a full-court pass to junior forward Mohamed Diarra, who made a layup to put an exclamation point on an 82-76 win.

Throughout the night, both teams refused to let the other create too much separation. After a close first half, NC State appeared as if it was going to run away with the game after building a commanding lead. However, Georgia Tech battled back to get within striking distance, requiring the Pack to dig deep for a hard-fought win.

“We had moments in the first and beginning of the second where we just did not play well, and we found a way to get more connected and obviously get another good ACC win,” said head coach Kevin Keatts.

The Pack will conclude its home stand on Wednesday, Feb. 7, as it takes on Pittsburgh. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be televised on ESPNU.