BLACKSBURG, Va. – Terquavion Smith scored 22 points, Jarkel Joiner added 21 and North Carolina State held back Virginia Tech’s late rally for a 73-69 victory on Saturday night.
N.C. State (13-4, 3-3 ACC) has won five of its last six games, including a 24-point win over 16-ranked Duke on Wednesday.
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A 10-2 surge got Virginia Tech within 67-64 with 47 seconds left, but N.C. State scored the next three points from the free-throw line to make it 70-64. Darius Maddox answered with a 3-pointer to get the Hokies back within three, and a pair of Sean Pedulla free throws cut the deficit to 71-69 with seven seconds left. Smith made two free throws to seal it.
Smith and Joiner were a combined 12 of 32 from the field and 16 of 20 from the line, and the pair made three of the Wolfpack’s five from distance. Casey Morsell added 15 points and D.J. Burns Jr. had 10.
Pedulla scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half to lead Virginia Tech (11-5, 1-4). Maddox finished with 16 points, 13 in the second half, and Lynn Kidd added 14.
N.C. State opened on a 13-2 run, led 36-22 at the break and never trailed. Smith scored 13 points, and Joiner and Morsell combined for 15 in the first half. Kidd had 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting while the rest of the Hokies were 5 of 18 before the break.
Virginia Tech plays at Syracuse on Wednesday. N.C. State hosts 12th-ranked Miami on Saturday.