Saturday, November 24
Raleigh, NC
5:30 pm
NC State
6-0
78
vs
74
Mercer
3-3
1
2
F
Mercer
32
42
74
NC State
37
41
78
Bryce Hits 1,000 Career Point Mark as Pack Defeats Bears, 78-74
11/24/2018 7:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball
RALEIGH, N.C. – Three members of the NC State men's basketball team scored in double figures to lead the Wolfpack past visiting Mercer, 78-74, Saturday evening inside PNC Arena.
Torin Dorn led the Pack (6-0) in scoring for the fifth time in six games, tallying 19 on the evening. CJ Bryce netted his 1000th career point on the way to posting 17, and Markell Johnson added 16 points of his own to help lead the Wolfpack past the Bears.
NC State's 6-0 record marks its best start to a season since it opened the 2014-15 campaign with six wins in a row.
The Pack maintained its signature defensive pressure as it forced the Bears into as many turnovers as made field goals.
Mercer opened the game hot, knocking down its first four attempts of the game on its way to hitting eight of its first 10 field goal attempts to build an early 21-14 lead, its biggest of the night. The seven-point margin is the largest deficit NC State has faced this season.
NC State responded with a 12-2 run during which Mercer went without a field goal for four and a half minutes.
A pair of free throws by DJ Funderburk put NC State up 32-30 late in the opening half, and the Bears would not lead again for the remainder of the outing. The Pack went into halftime with a 37-32 advantage.
The Pack brought its strong play to close the first half to the start of the final 20 minutes as the Pack rattled off a quick nine points to open a double-digit lead, ultimately extending its lead to as large as 21 points, 56-35, with 13:07 to go.
NC State held Mercer to just three points in the first 7:59 of the second half, part of a run that saw the Pack outscore the Bears 42-14 over a 20 minute stretch of the game.
Mercer was not done though as the Pack committed 16 fouls in the second half and the Bears responded by hitting 18 of 23 free throw attempts in the final period to slowly whittle away the Pack's lead.
Mercer's Djordje Dimitrijevic scored a game-high 25 points including a perfect 11-for-11 from the foul line. He scored 19 of his 25 in the second half as he scored the Bears final six points on drives to the basket.
Dimitrijevic's final lay-up with seven seconds left cut the Pack's lead to two, but graduate transfer Eric Lockett sealed the win by calmly knocking down two free throws.
Mercer finished the game 25-of-34 from the free throw line, while the Pack was just 16-of-29.
NC State hits the road for the first time this season as it visits Wisconsin in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on Tuesday, Nov. 27. The game is set for a 9 p.m. start and will be broadcast on ESPN2.
Torin Dorn led the Pack (6-0) in scoring for the fifth time in six games, tallying 19 on the evening. CJ Bryce netted his 1000th career point on the way to posting 17, and Markell Johnson added 16 points of his own to help lead the Wolfpack past the Bears.
NC State's 6-0 record marks its best start to a season since it opened the 2014-15 campaign with six wins in a row.
The Pack maintained its signature defensive pressure as it forced the Bears into as many turnovers as made field goals.
Mercer opened the game hot, knocking down its first four attempts of the game on its way to hitting eight of its first 10 field goal attempts to build an early 21-14 lead, its biggest of the night. The seven-point margin is the largest deficit NC State has faced this season.
NC State responded with a 12-2 run during which Mercer went without a field goal for four and a half minutes.
A pair of free throws by DJ Funderburk put NC State up 32-30 late in the opening half, and the Bears would not lead again for the remainder of the outing. The Pack went into halftime with a 37-32 advantage.
The Pack brought its strong play to close the first half to the start of the final 20 minutes as the Pack rattled off a quick nine points to open a double-digit lead, ultimately extending its lead to as large as 21 points, 56-35, with 13:07 to go.
NC State held Mercer to just three points in the first 7:59 of the second half, part of a run that saw the Pack outscore the Bears 42-14 over a 20 minute stretch of the game.
Mercer was not done though as the Pack committed 16 fouls in the second half and the Bears responded by hitting 18 of 23 free throw attempts in the final period to slowly whittle away the Pack's lead.
Mercer's Djordje Dimitrijevic scored a game-high 25 points including a perfect 11-for-11 from the foul line. He scored 19 of his 25 in the second half as he scored the Bears final six points on drives to the basket.
Dimitrijevic's final lay-up with seven seconds left cut the Pack's lead to two, but graduate transfer Eric Lockett sealed the win by calmly knocking down two free throws.
Mercer finished the game 25-of-34 from the free throw line, while the Pack was just 16-of-29.
NC State hits the road for the first time this season as it visits Wisconsin in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on Tuesday, Nov. 27. The game is set for a 9 p.m. start and will be broadcast on ESPN2.
Team Stats
MER
ST
FG%
.523
.450
3FG%
.250
.296
FT%
.735
.552
RB
35
30
TO
23
11
STL
5
8
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
19
FGM
7
3FGM
0
FTM
5
Pts
17
FGM
7
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
16
FGM
6
3FGM
4
FTM
0
Pts
9
FGM
2
3FGM
1
FTM
4
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballWill Wade Press Conference (Sept, 22, 2025)
Monday, September 22
Will Wade Summer Press Conference
Wednesday, July 09
Will Wade on ACC PM
Wednesday, May 14
Coach Will Wade Chats with Matt Chazanow and Jeff Gravley
Wednesday, March 26