GREENSBORO — After losing its last two games of the regular season, NC State men’s basketball needed a wake-up call in the ACC Tournament.

The Pack answered in style, playing one of its most complete games of the season in a 97-77 rout of defending tournament champion Virginia Tech.

The Wolfpack (23-9, 12-8 ACC) couldn’t have played much better, hitting about everything it put up for a 61.9% clip from the field, all while holding the Hokies (19-14, 8-12 ACC) in check.

“I thought we played against a very good Virginia Tech team,” said head coach Kevin Keatts. “I thought we played with grit. When we defend like we did tonight, we’re a really good basketball team. … We played like we wanted to win the game.”

If there’s one player who needed a wake-up call more than any other, it was Terquavion Smith. The sophomore guard had an up-and-down February by his standards, failing to reach the 15-point mark in the last five games of the regular season, and it was imperative that he play well this week in order for the Pack to have a run at the tournament title.

It was obvious from his opening 3-pointer that Smith was a man on a mission, filling it up for 30 points on a blistering 11-13 from the field that included five 3s. Smith’s performance may have come as a relief for NC State fans, but Keatts always knew his star would get back to his usual self.

“I thought everybody in the country [was] worried about Terquavion Smith, except for me,” Keatts said. “I didn’t bring him into my office, we didn’t talk about anything. The great thing about him is that he’s got short-term memory — he can miss 10 shots and then make 12. He’s just that type of player.”

Not to be outdone, graduate guard Jarkel Joiner had a great game himself, notching a double-double with 20 points and 10 assists. Just like they did in the first matchup against Duke this season, Smith and Joiner looked like Fire & Ice Part II, and with a combined 33 points in the first half — more than Virginia Tech’s 26 — the game was all but over by halftime.

“It’s really fun, man,” Joiner said. “Terquavion is a superstar — I love playing with him, his energy, he’s unselfish. … We love each other; we’re always talking on the court, off the court, and it’s fun.”

While Smith and Joiner did what’s expected of them, the Pack’s breakout star of the night was junior forward Ebenezer Dowuona, who had easily the best game of his college career with 11 points on 5-7 from the field. Those points came exclusively in the first half as graduate forward DJ Burns found himself with two early fouls, but Dowuona always seemed to be in the right place at the right time, flushing home a pair of dunks and getting it done on the defensive end with two blocks.

“I thought EB — career-high scoring today — did a great job because he rim-ran; he did a good job of setting great screens,” Keatts said. “I thought EB did a good job of getting [Smith and Joiner] easy shots by screens.”

Dowuona’s performance capped off an excellent first half for NC State in which the team scored the final 12 points to take a 53-26 lead into the break. While the Pack shot the lights out at 63.6% from the field, the Hokies were held to just 8-25.

NC State was in cruise control in the second half, taking its foot off the gas defensively by letting up 51 points from the Hokies, but it didn’t matter — the Pack scored 44 of its own to coast into the quarterfinals.

Smith was in perfect form during the second frame, scoring 11 points on 4-4 from the field. Just like Dowuona in the first half, graduate forward Jack Clark was the team’s unsung hero in the second, scoring an identical 11 points on 5-7 from the field in the half alone.

Putting a damper on an otherwise stellar night for NC State was an injury to redshirt junior forward Greg Gantt, which occurred at the end of the first half when it looked like his knee bent awkwardly. He was in obvious pain and returned to the court on crutches and in a brace after going to the locker room, and there was no update on his status after the game.

NC State needed this win not only to end a two-game losing streak, but also to feel comfortable about its chances heading into Selection Sunday. While the Pack was still considered in the NCAA Tournament field by most bracket projections, an early exit in Greensboro wouldn’t have done the team any favors.

This game may have been somewhat easy for NC State, but that won’t be the case in the next round as the Pack faces 3-seed Clemson, who swept the season series by a combined 39 points in two games. Tip-off for round three between the Tigers and the Wolfpack is set for 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 9 back in the Greensboro Coliseum.