NC State didn’t need a fireworks show to stay unbeaten. It needed defense, rebounding and enough shot-making to keep Troy at arm’s length, and that’s exactly what it got in an 81-62 win at the Lenovo Center.
The Wolfpack moved to 4-0 despite an uneven night from the field, hitting 43.1% of its shots. The difference was on the other end, where NC State squeezed Troy into 34.5% shooting and controlled the game with its physicality and activity.
Paul McNeil Jr. gave the Wolfpack a lift in a way he hadn’t yet this season, leading the team in scoring for the first time and matching his season high with 16 points. He went 5 of 10 from the floor and 4 of 8 from three, his best shooting night so far. He also kept crashing the glass, finishing with eight rebounds.
Ven-Allen Lubin kept rolling with another double-double, posting 15 points and 12 rebounds while adding three blocks. It was his second straight double-double and his third in four games. Last season, Lubin had eight double-doubles, which was a career high, and he’s already tracking well beyond that pace.
Darius Adams was the other Wolfpack player in double figures with 13 points. He shot 5 of 9 overall and 2 of 5 from deep, while also handing out five assists, committing just one turnover and leading the team with two steals.
Preston Edmead finished just shy of double figures with nine points, but he paced NC State with seven assists. Zymicah Wilkins continued to provide a spark off the bench, scoring eight points and grabbing six rebounds in only 14 minutes. He was perfect at the line, going 6 for 6.
NC State won the battle on the glass by 13 rebounds and added a +4 edge on the offensive boards. That work turned into production, as the Wolfpack finished with a +11 margin in second-chance points.
The ball security was sharp, too. NC State turned it over only seven times, a season low. The Wolfpack didn’t force Troy into many mistakes, either, generating just seven turnovers, but still finished +2 in points off turnovers.
The passing was another clean part of the night. NC State assisted on 19 of its 25 made field goals, a 76% assist rate that fits the way this team has opened the season.
The result didn’t come with a cover, though. NC State failed to cash as a 22.5-point favorite, and the total stayed Under. The Wolfpack has now missed the spread in three of its first four games, and the Under has hit in three of those contests.
Thursday night brings the next stop: Murray State in the Baha Mar Championship in the Bahamas.
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