The ‘Red Reckoning’ for NC State men’s basketball has taken its time in delivering results, but the team was quick to claim its first ACC road win in a 79-71 contest at Boston College.
With the victory over the Eagles (7-8, 0-2 ACC), this year’s roster has already managed something that last year’s roster didn’t: win a road game. NC State (11-5, 2-1 ACC) dominated the turnover margin 16-4 and shot 59% from 3-point range. Led by 22 points from senior forward Darrion Williams and a season-high 10 assists from senior guard Quadir Copeland, the Pack’s offense hit the go button early and never hit stop.
After a three-game stretch where he scored just 16 points combined, Williams opened Tuesday night with a pair of jump shots and a layup. Boston College guarded him one-on-one for most of the game, and the ACC Preseason Player of the Year feasted.
Redshirt-junior guard Terrance Arceneaux, also familiar with lofty expectations, scored a season-high 12 points. A trio of threes fell for the Houston transfer, and a graceful floater off the glass reminded the crowd why he was highly sought after out of high school and the transfer portal.
Freshman guard Matt Able played a season-high 32 minutes against the Eagles, dropping an efficient 11 points and six rebounds. He responded to some Boston College momentum in the first half with a smooth stepback three-pointer while his father Doug, who played four years at Boston College, watched on.
Boston College’s Fred Payne was a big reason why the Eagles remained in striking distance until late in the second half. Coming off a game in which he scored two points on 1-for-13 shooting, the left-handed guard bounced back with 24 points on the same number of shots against the Wolfpack. Boston College also shot 9-for-18 from 3-point range, well above its season average of 27.9%.
The referees were largely quiet in the first half, which enabled a smothering Wolfpack defense and numerous transition opportunities. In addition to winning the turnover battle, NC State had 18 assists to its four turnovers, adding to the 40th-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the country.
NC State head coach Will Wade, who opened the season with back-to-back technical fouls, added another to his collection after disagreeing with a foul call and waving off an official, who was quick to issue the technical from across the court.
“The road sometimes is a tricky place. You can really come together and be a good road team,” Wade said after NC State’s loss to Virginia and ahead of a stretch of six road games in eight contests.
The Wolfpack will continue its road trials against Florida State in Tallahassee on Saturday, Jan. 10, with a noon tipoff. The Seminoles are coming off a pair of close losses at the hands of Duke and North Carolina.
