NC State men’s basketball defeated the Virginia Tech Hokies 73-69 in a thrilling ACC battle in Cassell Coliseum, marking the Pack’s second win in a row.
Fresh off an 84-60 blowout win over No. 16 Duke, the Wolfpack (13-4, 3-3 ACC) could have had a letdown performance, but similar to the Duke game, NC State opened with a strong run, going up 16-6 early. The Pack also made its first five shots from the field, giving itself an early edge. Meanwhile, the Hokies (11-5, 1-4 ACC) came out sluggish and failed to match NC State’s intensity, allowing the Pack to race ahead.
The keys to NC State’s opening run were aggressive defense and hot shooting as the Wolfpack started strong and looked to stomp on Virginia Tech early. Sophomore guard Terquavion Smith set the tone with an early triple, and shortly after, Smith stole the ball and found graduate guard Jarkel Joiner for an assist. The Wolfpack’s strong start was critical since the Hokies eventually clawed back into the game and nearly came back.
After entering halftime up by 14, the Wolfpack was the team that started the second half slow as the Hokies opened the half with a quick 7-0 run to cut the lead in half. The rest of the game proved to be a tight, scrappy battle — both sides had moments where it looked like the game was turning, yet neither team fully seized momentum.
With under two minutes to play, it appeared that the game was slipping away from Virginia Tech. However, Hokie guard Darius Maddox suddenly came alive from deep, burying two quick 3-pointers to make it a one-possession game for the first time since the opening two minutes.
With the game’s result up in the air, it essentially became a free throw competition. Thanks to Joiner’s steady shooting at the line, the Pack’s lead was preserved and NC State finished leading wire to wire.
Throughout the game, NC State’s trio of starting guards led the team offensively. Joiner finished the game with 21 points, including eight from the line. He also was efficient, shooting 6-13 from the field. WIthout Joiner and his clutch play, especially at the free throw line, the Wolfpack’s lead may have crumbled at the end of the game.
While Joiner saved the game with his free throw shooting, Smith’s performance was just as crucial for the Pack, and while he wasn’t particularly efficient, Smith made some truly spectacular plays. During NC State’s opening run, he hit a deep 3 that displayed his incredible range; in addition to his heat-check shot, Smith made multiple contested shots in the paint. Smith finished the game with 22 points on 6-19 shooting.
Senior guard Casey Morsell didn’t shoot as much as Smith and Joiner but turned in an efficient performance nonetheless. Finishing with 15 points on 5-8 shooting — including 2-3 from deep — Morsell made timely shots for the Wolfpack. On a night where the Pack took some unadvisable shots, Morsell took and made smart shots throughout the night.
One stat that stood out during the game was the Wolfpack’s rebounding edge as it outrebounded Virginia Tech 38-29, a major part of which being 12 offensive boards. Making this more impressive is the fact that the Wolfpack was without graduate forwards Jack Clark and Dusan Mahorcic, who typically start at the 4 and the 5, respectively. It was the Wolfpack’s effort and intensity that helped fuel its rebounding advantage.
The Wolfpack will return to its home court on Saturday, Jan. 14 to take on the Miami Hurricanes at 12 p.m. This will be the second meeting this season between the two teams, with Miami winning the first 80-73, and it will be televised on RSN.
