RALEIGH – The NC State Men’s Basketball team opened its 2022-23 campaign on Monday night with a commanding 99-50 win over Austin Peay inside PNC Arena.
A strong, consistent, offensive performance from the Wolfpack was highlighted the NC State shooting over 60 percent from the field in both the first and second half. The Pack finished the game shooting 60.6 percent from the field, including 39.3 percent from behind the arc
Individually, Terquavion Smith posted his 14th career 20-point performance in his 33rd career game as he finished with a game-high 26 points. The Greenville, N.C., native shot 9-of-15 from the field and added five assists – one short of his career-high – and also posted two steals.
Making his NC State debut, Jarkel Joiner scored 18 points and passed out a career-best eight assists.
Three additional NC State players finished in double figures. Jack Clark finished with 15 points and seven rebounds while fellow newcomer D.J. Burns, Jr., finished one rebound shy of a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds.
Casey Morsell rounded out the Pack’s double-digit scorers with 10 points and tied with Clark for team-high honors with three steals.
NC State got off to a fast start in the first half, posting 49 points in the game’s opening 20 minutes. After jumping out to a quick 9-2 lead less than four minutes into the first half, the Pack never led by fewer than five points after the first media timeout.
After an Austin Peay basket cut the Pack’s lead to 9-4 with 16:25 to go in the first half, NC State responded with a 25-6 run over the next 10 minutes taking a 34-10 lead on a Joiner lay-up with 6:14 to go.
The Wolfpack dominated the Governors in every category, including a 26-5 edge in points off turnovers, a 50-26 margin in points in the paint, and an impressive 24-2 advantage in fast-break points.
After taking a 49-21 lead into the locker room for halftime, NC State continued its strong outing on both ends of the floor in the second half.
Dusan Mahorcic, Ernest Ross, Chase Graham, and Jordan Snell each found their way onto the stat sheet as well, with Mahorcic adding eight points, Ross finishing with six, and Graham and Snell each adding a three-point basket in the waning minutes of the game.
Ninety-nine (99) was the most points for NC State since it’s 104-100 defeat of Nebraska in four overtimes on December 1, 2021, and the Pack’s most points in regulation since a 100-67 win over Western Carolina on December 5, 2018.
On the defensive end, 50 was the fewest points surrendered by NC State since the Pack’s 65-48 win over Bethune-Cookman in Reynolds Coliseum on December 9, 2021.
NC State returns to action in the second leg of its four-game homestand on Friday, November 11 as in-state foe Campbell will visit PNC Arena. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra.
