The NC State men’s basketball team travels to Winston-Salem, North Carolina to play Wake Forest this Saturday, Dec. 7.
In what may be the strongest win of the season so far, the Pack (6-2, 0-1 ACC) beat Wisconsin 69-54 Wednesday, Dec. 4. This was quite a revenge game for NC State after the 79-75 loss in Madison, Wisconsin last season.
Sophomore forward Jericole Hellems had a breakout game with 23 points, including four 3-pointers and four rebounds.
Senior guard Markell Johnson and junior guard Braxton Beverly each had strong nights, totaling 12 and eight points, respectively. Johnson also recorded two steals on top of his offensive performance.
It was a very back-and-forth game with 12 lead changes, and the score was tied three times, but with a solid offensive showing in the second half, the Pack was able to secure the win.
In its first ACC matchup since the disastrous one-point loss against Georgia Tech to begin the season, the Wolfpack will look to even its ACC record at 1-1 against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (5-4, 0-1 ACC).
Wake Forest will be returning for its first home game since Nov. 28. Most recently, Wake lost 76-54 on the road at Penn State.
Key contributors for the Deacs this season include senior guard Brandon Childress and junior center Olivier Sarr. Childress is Wake’s leading scorer, averaging 15.1 points per game. Sarr isn’t too far behind, averaging 13.2 points per game. He also leads the team in blocks with 11 and has the highest rebound average, with 9.6 rebounds per game.
The loss against Penn State was Sarr’s fifth consecutive double-digit game. He recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, both of which were highs for the team all night.
NC State will be looking for a win to start its three-game road trip. Every Wolfpack fan surely knows that any game against Wake Forest is going to be a challenge, and this coming Saturday will be no exception.
The game tips off at 2 p.m. and will be aired on the ACC Network. Follow @TechSports on Twitter for live updates.
