NC State Hosts No. 7 Auburn Wednesday in PNC Arena

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RALEIGH, N.C. – The NC State men's basketball team returns to PNC Arena for the first time in nearly four weeks as it hosts seventh-ranked Auburn Wednesday evening at 7 p.m.

Fans will be able to enter PNC Arena 90 minutes (5:30) prior to tipoff.

The game will be televised on ESPN2. NC State fans can also tune in to the Wolfpack Sports Network and hear Gary Hahn and Tony Haynes with the call.

Coca-Cola Toys for Tots
Fans are encouraged to bring an unwrapped toy valued at $5 or more to the game on Wednesday. All entrances of PNC Arena will have members of the Marine Corps collecting on behalf of Toys for Tots. Those that donate will receive a voucher for free ticket to gymnastics meet, wrestling match or women's basketball game at James T. Valvano Arena at Reynolds Coliseum (voucher excludes Play4Kay & Wrestling vs. Brown at PNC Arena).

Pack Tracks
- NC State used a 22-6 run in the second half to break open a tied game and defeat Penn State, 89-78, Saturday in the Boardwalk Classic held in Atlantic City, N.J. Sophomore guard Braxton Beverly led five NC State players in double-figures with a season-best 18 points to lead the Pack in the win. The Pack shot a season-best 60.7 percent in the win.
- Beverly is the fourth different player to lead NC State in scoring in the first 10 games this season. Devon Daniels (2x), Torin Dorn (5x) and Markell Johnson (2x) have also led the Pack in scoring. NC State relies on a balanced scoring attack. All 10 players on the roster have scored in double figures in at least one game this season and six of the players are shooting 50 percent or better from the field.
- NC State leads the ACC and ranks fourth in the NCAA in field goal percentage at 51.5%.
- The Pack's bench is averaging 33.3 points per game this season and has had 12 individual double-digit scoring performances. The Pack has scored 40+ points off the bench in four games this season, including 50 points against Maryland Eastern Shore which is the most bench points for NC State since the 1999-2000 season. The Pack has outscored the opponents bench by 184 points (333-149).
- In the Pack's nine wins it has held its opponents to 24.2% three-point shooting (40-of-165). For the season, NC State ranks 19th in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage defense, holding its opponents to 27.4% shooting.

NC State - Auburn Series
- Wednesday marks the eighth all-time meeting between the two programs.
- NC State leads the all-time series, 4-3.
- The last meeting was Dec. 27, 1975 and the ninth-ranked Pack defeated Auburn, 79-74.

Wednesday Storylines
- A win on Wednesday would give NC State a 10-1 record for the first time since the 2005-06 team started the season with a 12-1 record.
- Wednesday's game will be the fifth time with Kevin Keatts as head coach that NC State has faced a top-10 opponent. The Pack is 3-1 in those games. NC State defeated No. 2 Arizona, No. 2 Duke and No. 10 North Carolina last season. The Pack lost at No. 3 Virginia.
- Of the 351 teams in NCAA DI, Auburn and NC State are only two of three teams (Wofford) to rank in the top-50 in the nation in scoring offense and scoring defense. NC State ranks 10th in scoring offense at 88.9 points per game and 37th in scoring defense at 63.6 points per game. Auburn ranks 20th in scoring offense at 84.8 points per game and 22nd in scoring defense at 62.3 points per game. Both teams rank in the top-5 in the nation in scoring margin (Pack - 3rd and Auburn - 5th)
- Winning the turnover battle: Auburn leads the nation in turnover margin at +7.6 while NC State is sixth in the nation in turnover margin at +5.8. Auburn has had fewer turnovers than its opponents in every game this season. NC State has had the same number of turnovers or fewer than its opponent in every game except for one this season. (Penn State)
- NC State ranks fourth in the nation in field goal percentage (51.5%), while Auburn ranks 49th in the nation in field goal percentage defense (39.4%). The Tigers have only allowed one opponent (Washington) to shoot over 50 percent this season. The Pack's lowest field goal percentage in a game this season is 44.8% (Maine) and NC State has shot 50 percent or better from the field in six of 10 games.
- Auburn ranks 13th in the country, averaging 10.9 three-pointers per game. The Pack ranks 19th in the nation in opponents' three-point field goal percentage at 27.4 percent. NC State is only allowing its opponents to hit 5.1 three-pointers per game this season and has only allowed one opponent (Wisconsin) to hit more than six three-pointers in a game. Auburn has hit at least eight three-pointers in every game except for one this season.

NC State vs. Top-10 Opponents in PNC Arena
- Wednesday's game against Auburn will mark the 31st time a team ranked in the top-10 has visited PNC Arena to face the Pack. NC State has an all-time record of 11-19 against top-10 teams in PNC Arena. Kevin Keatts is 1-0 all-time against top-10 teams in PNC Arena.

NC State Hosts No. 7 Auburn Wednesday in PNC Arena

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Players Mentioned

Braxton Beverly

Devon Daniels

Torin Dorn

Markell Johnson