NC State Defeats Wake Forest, 94-74

RALEIGH, N.C. – The NC State men’s basketball team defeated Wake Forest, 94-74, Sunday night inside PNC Arena, led by Markell Johnson’s 25 points.

The Pack moves to 20-8 (8-7 ACC) with the win, while the Demon Deacons drop to 10-16 (3-11 ACC).

In the fifth 20-point game of his career, Johnson’s 25 points is the most for the junior in an ACC contest and just two off of his career-high. Johnson shot 9-of-13 from the field, including 6-of-9 shooting from long range. The Cleveland, Ohio natives six three-pointers were a career-high and the most by an NC State player this season. Johnson added a season-best six rebounds.

Johnson was joined in double figures by three other NC State players.

Jericole Hellems contributed 14 points, the most for the freshman in conference play, Devon Daniels had 10 points and Torin Dorn recorded his sixth double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

The Pack out-rebounded the Demon Deacons, 47-37. Fourteen of those boards came on the offensive glass.

All nine players that entered the game for NC State filled the scoring column, aided by the Pack’s 19 assists, tying its season-high in conference play.

NC State led the entirety of the game, but made a surge over a three-minute span in the second half to put the game away for good with a 10-0 run, giving NC State a 59-43 lead at the 12:07 mark. Wake Forest never got closer than 12 points the rest of the way.

The Pack got off a torrid start, jumping out to a 9-0 lead, but the Demon Deacons closed to within one, 18-17, at the 11:15 mark. Sparked by a Johnson three-pointer, NC State would go on a 7-0 run. Wake Forest closed within three, 31-28, with 2:56 remaining in the first half, but the Pack closed the half on a 10-4 run to take a 41-32 lead into the break.

NC State (20-8, 8-7) will take on Florida State (21-6, 9-5) in Tallahassee, Fla., on Sat., Mar. 2 at noon. The game will be televised on ESPN2.

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