Dominating Second Half Defense Sends Pack to 70-57 Win over Wake Forest

Wednesday, December 31

Raleigh, NC

12 PM

NC State

10-4,1-0ACC

Wake Forest

9-5,0-1ACC

Wake Forest

NC State

Dominating Second Half Defense Sends Pack to 70-57 Win over Wake Forest

12/31/2025 3:16:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

RALEIGH N.C. – The NC State men's basketball team (10-4, 1-0) held Wake Forest (9-5, 0-1) to 29 percent shooting and 25 points in the final 20 minutes as the Pack beat the Demon Deacons, 70-57, Wednesday afternoon in both team's Atlantic Coast Conference opener.

NC State led 36-32 at the break, but held the Demon Deacons to just four points over the first seven plus minutes of the second half as the Pack opened the final frame on a 16-4 run.

Wake Forest would go on one mini-run, cutting the Pack's lead to 52-41 with 11:29 to play, but NC State's defense would again step up, holding the Demon Deacons without a point for almost five minutes.

Wake Forest would never get closer than 11 points again as the Pack extended its lead to as many as 19 points late in the game.

The Demon Deacons 25 second half points were the fewest for an NC State opponent this season. Wake Forest only scored 13 points in the first 17 minutes of the second half, before making four consecutive shots and scoring 12 points in the final three minutes.

Quadir Copeland led NC State with 14 points, eight assists and three steals. Paul McNeil, Jr., added 13 points and Ven-Allen Lubin posted a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

Darrion Williams chipped in eight points, six rebounds and four assists while Musa Sagnia had six points and eight rebounds.

The Pack turned it over 15 times in the game, but after turning it over 11 times in the first half, only had four second half turnovers as NC State took control of the game in the final 20 minutes.

Wake Forest was led by Omaha Biliew who had 18 points and 10 rebounds and Juke Harris who finished with 17 points.

NC State returns to action Saturday when it hosts 21^st-ranked Virginia. Tipoff inside the Lenovo Center is scheduled for 11 a.m. and the game will be televised on ESPN2.