NC State kept rolling Tuesday night, overpowering Presbyterian 94-60 inside the Lenovo Center to move to 3-0.
The Wolfpack won the battle on the glass in emphatic fashion, finishing with a 52-32 rebounding edge and piling up 20 offensive rebounds. That total is the most for an NC State team since the Pack grabbed 23 on Dec. 1, 2021 in a four-overtime win over Nebraska. It also marks the most offensive rebounds in a regulation game for NC State since Nov. 20, 2014, when the Pack had 20 in a 79-43 win over Jacksonville.
Ven-Allen Lubin paced NC State with 21 points and 10 rebounds, giving him his second double-double of the season and the 20th of his career. Paul McNeil, Jr. added 12 points and a career-high 12 rebounds for his second career double-double.
Zymicah Wilkins chipped in career highs of 13 points and seven rebounds in just 13 minutes. Christian Hammond also scored 13, while Darius Adams finished with 12.
NC State seized control early with a 17-3 burst that pushed the lead to 19-7 with 11:09 left before halftime. Presbyterian trimmed the margin to 11 at 27-16 with 7:12 remaining in the half, but the Blue Hose didn’t hit another field goal before the break as the Pack answered with a 19-3 run and took a 46-19 lead into halftime.
Presbyterian opened the second half with a 13-0 run and cut the deficit to 14 on a three-pointer with 15:58 left, but NC State quickly slammed the door with a 25-7 spurt over the next five minutes.
The Pack also owned the turnover battle, outscoring Presbyterian 50-30 in points off turnovers and holding a 41-20 edge in bench points.
NC State closes its four-game season-opening homestand Friday night against Troy. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m., and the game will be televised on the ACC Network.
In Other News...
NC State's Early Depth Is Giving The Wolfpack A Different Look
NC States 94-60 win over Presbyterian offered another early look at a Wolfpack team that is starting to show more ways to beat an opponent. Ven-Allen Lubin powered the front line with 21 points and 10 rebounds, while Christian Hammond, Paul McNeil Jr. and Zymicah Wilkins all chipped in with meaningful scoring and work on the glass as the Wolfpack moved to 3-0.
What stood out just as much was how the offense spread itself around. NC State piled up 50 points in the paint and got 41 points from the bench, a sign that the rotation is already giving the team a different feel than it had in recent seasons. The challenge now is whether that depth can keep translating once the schedule tightens and the competition gets more demanding. [Read more 🡒]
Philip Rivers Could Be Closing In On NC States Biggest Job
Philip Rivers appears to be moving closer to a return to Raleigh in a role few would have imagined a few years ago. The NC State Board of Trustees is expected to approve a contract for the former Wolfpack quarterback to become the football teams head coach, following the firing of Dave Doeren. Rivers, who is currently coaching at the high school level, has already met with university officials about the opening.
Rivers has not publicly confirmed the hire, but he has acknowledged that conversations are ongoing about what comes next. For a program looking to reset after making a change at the top, the possibility of bringing back one of its most recognizable former players adds an unmistakable layer of intrigue, even as the final steps remain to be completed. [Read more 🡒]
NC State Has No Margin For Error Against Syracuse
NC States defense left plenty to clean up after the Duke game, when the Wolfpack gave up 238 rushing yards and watched Nate Sheppard carve through them for 217 yards and three touchdowns. Even in a game with a rare bright spot, safety Andrew Pellicciotta turned a missed 50-yard field goal into a 109-yard touchdown return, reportedly the first play of that kind in program history, but the bigger takeaway was how much ground the Wolfpack surrendered on the other side of the ball.
Interim head coach Todd Goebbel didnt hide from the breakdowns, and he also didnt sound rattled by them as NC State turns to Syracuse. The Wolfpack know the margin for error is thin now, especially if the defense is going to be tested again, and the next step is proving the preparation matches the urgency of the moment. [Read more 🡒]