No. 15 Pack Hosts Pittsburgh on Saturday

TV Affiliates | Live Scoring | Tickets

RALEIGH, N.C. – The 15^th-ranked NC State men's basketball team (13-2, 1-1 ACC) returns to action Saturday at noon when it hosts Pittsburgh (11-4, 1-1 ACC) inside PNC Arena.

The game will be televised in the Raleigh area on WRAL (NBC). Other stations in North Carolina carrying the game include WBTV (CBS) in Charlotte, WFMY (CBS) in Greensboro- Winston-Salem – High Point, WITN-D2 (This TV) in Greenville – New Bern – Washington and WSFX (FOX) in Wilmington. Complete list of affiliates showing the game can be found here.

NC State fans can also listen to Gary Hahn and Tony Haynes call the action on the Wolfpack Sports Network.

Superhero Day
Saturday is Superhero Day inside PNC Arena. All kids attending the game are encouraged to come to the game dressed up as their favorite superhero.

Pack Tracks
- NC State had its seven-game win streak snapped on Tuesday with a 90-82 loss to UNC-Chapel Hill. The Pack's bench scored 43 points in the game as the team's top two scorers in the game came from players who started the game on the bench. Sophomore guard Braxton Beverly scored a career-high 21 points, while sophomore forward DJ Funderburk added 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting.
- The Pack's bench is averaging 35.9 points per game this season and has had 22 individual double-digit scoring performances. The Pack has scored 40+ points off the bench in seven games this season, including a school-record 62-point performance in the win over USC Upstate on Dec. 22. Since the 1999-2000 season, eight of the top-18 bench scoring performances for NC State have come under Kevin Keatts coached teams.
- Over the last three games, DJ Funderburk is shooting 87.5% (14-of-16) from the field and averaging 11 points per game. Funderburk is shooting 66.7% from the field this season, including 90% (9-of-10) in the Pack's two ACC games.
- NC State is forcing opponents into 18.67 turnovers per game, which leads the ACC and ranks sixth in the NCAA.
- Back in the Associated Press Top-25: The Pack is ranked 15th in the AP poll that was released on Dec. 31. NC State first appeared in the AP Top-25 poll on Dec. 24. It was the program's first appearance in the AP Top-25 since the Jan. 26, 2013 poll.

NC State - Pittsburgh Series
- The Pack leads the all-time series with Pittsburgh, 15-2. NC State has won six of the seven meetings between the two programs since the Panthers joined the ACC for the 2013-14 season.
- Last season, the Pack trailed by as many as 15 points, but battled back to win at Pittsburgh, 72-68.

Saturday Storylines
- A win on Saturday would give the Pack a 2-1 start in the ACC for the first time since the 2014-15 season.
- By opponent shooting percentage, Pittsburgh is the best defense NC State has faced this season. The Panthers are holding opponents to 38.4% shooting this season and 28.3% three-point shooting. The highest field goal percentage Pitt has allowed this season is 48.2%. NC State has shot better than 48.2% in nine games this season.
- NC State ranks third in the ACC in offensive rebounds per game (13.0) and second in offensive rebound percentage (37.6%). Pitt ranks last in the ACC in defensive rebound percentage at 68.0%.
- In the two ACC games this season, the Pack's bench has shot 52.9% (27-of-51) from the field, while the starters have shot just 38.9% (35-of-90)
- Five different players have led NC State in scoring this season. Braxton Beverly (2x) Devon Daniels (2x), Torin Dorn (6x), Markell Johnson (4x) and Eric Lockett (1x) have 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.

Second Half Pack
- NC State is shooting 52.6% in the second half this season, including 40.6% from three-point range.
- The Pack has shot 55% or better in the second half eight times this season, including shooting 70.8% from the field in the second half against Penn State.
- Since the Western Carolina game on Dec. 5 (seven-game span), the Pack is shooting 55.6 percent from the field and 44.9% from three-point range in the second half.
- In the second half of the last seven games, Markell Johnson is shooting60% (21-of-35) from the field and 52.6% (10-of-19) from three-point range.

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Players Mentioned

Braxton Beverly

Devon Daniels

Torin Dorn

D.J. Funderburk

Markell Johnson

Eric Lockett