The N.C. State men’s basketball team dropped its first game of the season Sunday night in an 82-67 loss to No. 20 Georgetown in the championship game of the Charleston Classic. A 15-0 second half run spurred the Hoyas to victory over the young Pack team, which was playing without the services of senior forward Tracy Smith who underwent arthroscopic knee surgery following the East Carolina contest.

State held the lead over Georgetown for much of the first half before heading into halftime tied at 37.

The second half began much like the first half ended, as both teams battled for the lead. The Pack held a 44-42 advantage following two DeShawn Painter free throws with 16 minutes left to play, but a highlight reel dunk by Georgetown’s Austin Freeman sparked a 15-0 run and gave the Hoyas a lead they would never relinquish.

Sophomore Richard Howell had another big game for the Pack, finishing with 14 points and eight rebounds after posting a double-double in his previous game against George Mason. Painter filled in nicely for the injured Smith, finishing with 10 points and seven rebounds. The Pack did not have its best shooting day, going 25-63 from the field and 4-17 from behind the arc.

The Wolfpack followed up its 85-65 tournament-opening victory over East Carolina on Thursday with a 78-65 win over George Mason on Friday. The team rallied past the Patriots behind a strong second-half defensive effort. State used a team effort to build a 10-point lead by halftime, but George Mason did not shy away. The Patriots came out of the locker rooms hitting on all cylinders and claimed a 56-55 lead with 12 minutes to go. But the Wolfpack responded with a 19-2 run to reclaim the lead and would never look back, winning by the final score of 78-65.

With senior guard Javier Gonzalez in early foul trouble, freshman Ryan Harrow filled in and did not disappoint, leading all Pack players with 14 points. Howell finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds while Painter played a career-high 27 minutes in Smith’s absence, recording four points and five rebounds.

Coach Sidney Lowe and Co. will try to rebound from the Georgetown loss when it takes on Fairleigh Dickinson at Reynolds Coliseum on Nov. 27.