Pack Closes Strong to Beat ETSU, 77-63 - NC State University Athletics

Friday, November 6

Raleigh, NC

7 PM

NC State

2-0,0-0ACC

ETSU

0-2,0-0SoCon

Team	1	2	F
ETSU	36	27	63
NC State	35	42	77

Box Score (PDF)

11/6/2026 10:25:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

RALEIGH, N.C. – The NC State men's basketball team used a 15-0 run midway through the second half to take the lead and never looked back in defeating ETSU, 77-63, Friday night inside the Lenovo Center.

Preston Edmead shined in his second career game for the Pack as he scored a game-high 20 points and passed out a career-best 10 assists as he registered his first career double-double. Edmead also finished with zero turnovers.

Paul McNeil, Jr., added 16 points, making five three-pointers, while Christian Hammond added 13 points off the bench.

Kyle Evans added eight points, six rebounds and two blocks.

The Pack trailed by one at the half and allowed ETSU to extend its lead in the second half as the Bucs scored on its first seven possessions to take a 52-42 lead with 15:42 to play in the game.

NC State completely flipped the game from that point though as the defense clamped down on ETSU and the Pack's offense came to life.

McNeil started the run with a three, Evans scored the next four points courtesy of a dunk and two free throws, before Eemeli Yalaho tied the game at 52 on a three-pointer with 11:32 left.

R.J. Keene II put the Pack in front for a good with a three-pointer 40 seconds later and Edmead capped NC State's 15-0 run with a steal and lay-up to give NC State a five-point lead with 10:11 to play.

ETSU scored the next four points to get within one, but a mini 9-2 run put the Pack in front by eight and the Bucs never got closer than seven the rest of the way.

NC State closed the game out by outscoring ETSU, 35-11 in the final 15:42 of the game.

After making six of its first seven shots in the second half, ETSU only made three of its final 14 shots in the game and turned it over six times in the final 15 minutes of the game.

The Pack finished the game with a 24-7 advantage in points off turnovers and a 33-25 advantage in rebounding.

For the second straight game, NC State got off to a poor start offensively as the Pack missed nine of its first 12 shots to let ETSU run out to an 18-10 lead midway through the first half.

A Zymicah Wilkins basket started a stretch where the Pack made eight of nine field goals as NC State went from down eight, 18-10, to up four, 29-25, with 5:01 left in the first half.

NC State's lead was still four, 35-31, with over two minutes left until halftime, but ETSU scored the final five points of the period to take a 36-35 advantage into the locker room.

NC State is back in action Tuesday evening when it hosts Presbyterian at the Lenovo Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the game will stream on ACC Network Extra.