N.C. State came away with a close win against the Boston College Eagles, 78-73, in Chestnut Hill, Mass. It is the Pack’s first road ACC opener since 1997. The two teams tied 11 times and exchanged leads nine times.
All five of State’s starters posted double-figure scoring totals in the contest. Freshman guard Rodney Purvis led the Pack with a career-high 19 points in the contest. Senior forward Richard Howell scored 12 points and pulled down 11 rebounds in the game for his 11th double-double of the season and 21st of his career.
Senior guard Lorenzo Brown added 14 points and eight assists.
The game remained tight throughout the first half. After playing from behind for the majority of the half, the Wolfpack took its first lead of the game on a layup from freshman forward T.J. Warren with more than three minutes left.
State finished the half on a 14-2 run and went into the locker room with a 29-28 lead.
The game remained tight throughout the second half and senior forward Scott Wood stepped up. After being plagued by foul trouble throughout the contest, Wood came off the bench to score 12 points in the game’s final minutes.
Boston College forward Ryan Anderson had a standout game for the Eagles, scoring 22 points and pulling down 13 rebounds.
State pulled out the win despite being outworked on the boards. The Eagles outrebounded State, 32-31. The Pack outscored BC in the paint, 34-28, and off turnovers, 11-6.