NC State falls to No.14 Virginia 64-57

Wednesday, February 3

Raleigh, NC

9 PM

NC State

7-7,3-6ACC

Virginia

12-3,8-1ACC

Virginia

NC State

2/4/2021 12:26:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Jericole Hellems leads the Pack with 23 points.

RALEIGH, N.C.- The NC State men's basketball team fell to 14^th-ranked Virginia, 64-57, inside PNC Arena Wednesday night.

With the loss, NC State falls to 7-7, 3-6 in the ACC, while Virginia improves to 12-3, 8-1 in the ACC.

Junior forward Jericole Hellems led the Pack with 23 points and added 5 rebounds in the loss. Hellems was 9-of-15 from the floor and 3-of-6 from behind the arc, but he was the only NC State player to reach double figures.

Redshirt sophomore Manny Bates recorded nine points and contributed four rebounds and senior D.J. Funderburk added nine points and five rebounds.

The first half was a game of runs. The Cavaliers jumped out to a 19-13 lead, but NC State responded with a 9-0 spurt to take a 22-19 lead with 5:09 left until halftime. UVA responded with a 9-0 run of its own as the Pack went almost five minutes without a field goal until Cam Hayes ended the drought with a jumper in the final seconds of the half to pull NC State within four, 28-24, at the break.

UVA built on its lead in the first six minutes of the half, leading by as many as nine points and a Jay Huff field goal at the 13:53 mark gave the Cavaliers a 41-33 lead.

But the Pack responded with an 11-2 run to take a 44-43 lead with 6:53 to go on a steal and dunk by Funderburk.

The Cavaliers made four free throws over the next two minutes to retake the lead and then had its eight minute streak without a field goal end on a Sam Hauser three-pointer with 5:38 to go to put UVA in front 50-46.

A Hellems jumper on NC State's ensuing possession brought the Pack back within two, but a 7-0 Virginia run over the next two minutes gave the Cavaliers a 57-48 lead with 3:19 to go.

The Pack would not get closer than four points the rest of the way.

Hauser and Trey Murphy III led Virginia with 18 points a piece.

The Pack outrebounded Virginia, 31-24, and made four more field goals than the Cavaliers, but UVA outscored NC State 20-7 at the foul line.

NC State will travel to Massachusetts to play Boston College on Saturday in Conte Forum. Tipoff is set for 12 p.m. and will be broadcast on the ACC Network.