Auburn Hands NC State Tough Loss in ACC/SEC Challenge
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NC State dropped its first true road game of the 2025-26 season, falling to No. 20 Auburn 83-73 at Neville Arena. The Tigers blitzed the Wolfpack late in the second half after the Pack held things together and withstood several massive Auburn runs. The loss extended the Wolfpack's road-losing streak to 655 days.
Many of the same major defensive issues that plagued NC State during its 1-2 showing in the Southwest Maui persisted in the loss to the Tigers. The loss forces the Wolfpack into a dire situation for the rest of non-conference play, as opportunities to improve its national standing are dwindling as the season carries into December.
Non-stop 3-point shooting
In the Wolfpack's loss to Texas in the fifth-place game on Maui, the Longhorns unleashed a salvo on the Pack from beyond the arc, making 50% of their 3-pointers. Auburn entered Wednesday's matchup shooting just 32.9% from three, but showed improvement during its trip to Las Vegas for the Players Era event.
Now back in their home arena, the Tigers found a serious rhythm shooting the basketball. Auburn made just five triples in the first half, but erupted for another seven 3-pointers in the final 20 minutes. Star forward Keyshawn Hall buried five threes, while guard Kevin Overton added another six. The pair finished with 28 and 29 points, respectively.
How did he get this to go?!?😳 pic.twitter.com/lJMeiaFSlF
— Auburn Basketball (@AuburnMBB) December 4, 2025
The Wolfpack didn't lag far behind, though. NC State shot 10-of-30 from three, with guards Tre Holloman and Quadir Copeland combining for half of those makes. The Tigers didn't allow the Wolfpack's 3-point specialist, sophomore guard Paul McNeil, to find much room on the perimeter. McNeil scored just seven points and made one three in the loss.
The perimeter defense continues to be a significant issue for the Wolfpack. If NC State continues to allow teams to fire away from beyond the arc with limited resistance, it will continue to give up gaudy offensive numbers to the opposition on a nightly basis.
Copeland continues to score
After scoring 28 points in the loss to Texas, Copeland continued to establish himself as a steadier offensive option for the Wolfpack from a scoring standpoint rather than just performing as a distributor. He was on the attack early and often against the Tigers, even blowing a kiss to the Neville Arena crowd after sinking a triple early in the first half.
Hit the shot. Blow a kiss. pic.twitter.com/7hStj8dowz
— NC State Men's Basketball (@PackMensBball) December 4, 2025
Copeland kept the Wolfpack alive as Auburn ripped off multiple lengthy stretches where it didn't miss a field goal. The veteran guard scored 22 points and made a pair of triples. He dished out just three assists, given the larger scoring output.
The McNeese State transfer picked up some of the slack for star forward Darrion Williams, who continued to be a major point of emphasis for the opposing defense. Williams scored just 11 points, making one of his five 3-point attempts.
Final Word
Once again, NC State finds itself needing to re-evaluate things defensively after yet another ugly outing. Auburn shot 59% from the field, while the Wolfpack lagged behind at 41%. The Wolfpack's lack of a true big man outside of freshman Musa Sagnia proved to be an issue, as Auburn outrebounded the Pack 35 to 22.
Will Wade and the Pack will return to the Lenovo Center for the first time in two weeks with a tilt against UNC Asheville on Saturday.
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Tucker Sennett graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Journalism from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. A former basketball player, he has gained valuable experience working at Cronkite News and brings a deep passion for sports and reporting to his role as the NC State Wolfpack Beat Writer On SI.
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