Quadir Copeland scored 14 points and North Carolina State benefitted from Wake Forest’s offensive woes on the way to a 70-57 victory in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams on Wednesday afternoon at Raleigh, N.C.
Paul McNeil Jr.’s 13 points and Ven-Allen Lubin’s 12 points and 11 rebounds also boosted the Wolfpack (10-4) in NC State coach Will Wade’s first ACC game. The Wolfpack shot 42.4% from the field.
Omaha Biliew’s 18 points and 10 rebounds and Juke Harris’ 17 points led Wake Forest (9-5), which was playing in its first true road game of the season. Myles Colvin scored eight of his 13 points in the first half, but the Demon Deacons shot 33.9% from the floor, including 8 of 31 from 3-point ranger, made nine of 13 free-throw attempts and committed 16 turnovers.
NC State scored the first seven points of the second half to restore its double-digit lead. The margin grew to 56-41 as the Demon Deacons managed only nine points for the first 13 minutes of the second half.
Wake Forest, which ended with a season-low point total, made one of its first 13 attempts from 3-point range in the second half.
Copeland finished with seven assists, but he also was charged with seven of NC State’s 15 turnovers. The Wolfpack’s reserves outscored Wake Forest’s backups by 19-5.
A 13-4 stretch late in the first half allowed NC State to build a 10-point lead before Biliew’s personal 6-0 run allowed the Demon Deacons to close within 36-32 at halftime.
NC State senior forward Darrion Williams, the preseason ACC Player of the Year who didn’t have a field goal in the Wolfpack’s previous game – a home win over Ole Miss on Dec. 21 — hit a 3-pointer after missing his first three shots and finished with eight points.
The teams combined for nine field goals and 16 turnovers across the first 10 minutes. McNeil finished with 11 first-half points. The teams combined to shoot 7-for-25 on first-half 3s, with each team committing 11 turnovers.
