Cold Shooting Dooms Wolfpack in ACC Opener against Pitt

RALEIGH – The NC State men’s basketball team shot a season-low 35 percent to fall to Pitt, 68-60, in both teams Atlantic Coast Conference opener Friday night at PNC Arena.

The Pack were led by Terquavion Smith and DJ Burns on the offensive end, with Smith totaling 15 points and Burns adding 13. They were the only two players to reach double figures for NC State.

Smith passed out a team-high four assists and Jack Clark led the way on the boards with nine rebounds.

The Wolfpack’s offense struggled to find its rhythm in the first half, as NC State shot 29.4 percent from the field and 20 percent from beyond the arc.

Pitt jumped on the Pack’s offensive struggles at the end of the half, closing the opening 20 minutes on a 6-0 run to take a 33-28 lead into the halftime break.

The Pack scored the first basket of the second half to get within three, but NC State could get no closer. The Panthers stretched its lead to 11 early in the second half and a 7-0 run, started by a Greg Gantt three-pointer, brought NC State back to four, but Pitt had an answer for every Pack threat and pulled away to win.

Pitt posted 46.3 percent clip from the field on the night and were led by Jamarius Burton who finished with a career-best 24 points.

Now sitting at 7-2 on the season, the Wolfpack will shift its focus to Coppin State for a midweek tilt on Tuesday, Dec. 6. Tuesday’s contest will serve as NC State’s annual Heritage Game and will be held in Reynolds Coliseum. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on Regional Sports Networks including Bally Sports South in North Carolina.