The lights shone bright in the Peterson Event Center, and Wolfpack senior forward Ven-Allen Lubin caught the alley-oop pass from senior guard Trey Holloman to put the nightcap on Pitt 81-72.
NC State men’s basketball (14-6, 5-2 ACC) picked up its fourth road game win against the Pittsburgh Panthers (8-12, 1-7 ACC) in a gritty defensive performance. The Wolfpack has not lost a road ACC matchup yet. It took some time for the offense to get clicking, but the Pack closed the game with clutch defense and free throws.
Head coach Will Wade had to fire up his team as the Wolfpack found itself in a seven-point deficit with Pitt looking to capitalize on a strong second half start. Pitt had started the second half on a 9-2 run, but sophomore guard Paul McNeil Jr. answered Wade’s call; banging a pair of triples to stretch the lead 64-58 in favor of the Pack.
McNeil scored all of his points from 3-point range, netting 15 on 55% shooting. The Panthers perimeter defense fell asleep on McNeil too late in the game and he laced the nets when the Pack needed it, pushing the game out of reach.
Senior forward Darrion Williams made a turnaround jumper through contact late in Saturday’s game, finishing the 3-point play to shut the door on any Pitt comeback before flashing a smile. However, Williams struggled on the offensive end. He went 2-for-8 from the field and 0-for-3 from beyond-the-arc, finishing with seven points.
Senior guard Quadir Copeland was big down the stretch, as he converted on a transition driving layup while getting hit from behind by a Panther guard. Copeland nailed the free-throw to complete the 3-point play and extend the Pack lead.
Copeland is fitting into his scoring role nicely, as he led the team in points with 20 on 6-for-11 from the field. He was slicing up the Panthers defense with nine assists and was pure from the line, going 8-for-9.
The Pack’s effort on the boards was concerning, as the worst rebounding team in the ACC grabbed 52 boards off the Wolfpack; 26 of those being offensive rebounds. There was a severe lack of intensity, as Pitt racked up 24 second-chance points.
Fortunately, the Wolfpack defense finished with 10 steals and five blocks that made up for the poor offensive output. Pitt only made three 3-pointers in the first half, and the Wolfpack defense earned 22 points off turnovers.
The Wolfpack looks to extend its winning streak as it hosts Syracuse on Tuesday, Jan. 27. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
