Joel Coliseum Has Been Wolfpack's House of Horrors

State makes its annual trip to Wake Forest on Saturday, where it is 6-23 on the Deacons' current home court

Wake Forest's Lawrence Joel Veteran's Memorial Coliseum is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. But you can excuse the NC State basketball team if it doesn't bring a gift to commemorate the occasion when it makes its annual visit on Saturday.

Though hardly the most intimidating venue in the ACC, the home of the Deacons has been a virtual house of horrors for the Wolfpack since its opening on Nov. 25, 1989. 

The circumstances and relative strength of the teams don't seem to matter when State and Wake play in Winston-Salem. As is the case with the football rivalry between the schools, the result is usually the same.

The Wolfpack is 6-23 all-time at Joel and has lost six of the last seven times it has played there. On the positive side, State's one win since 2012 came during coach Kevin Keatts' tenure.

Here's a look at the history Keatts' current team will be looking to overcome as it tries to earn its first ACC victory of the season ...

2018-19 -- Wake 71, State 67: PSlaying without point guard Markell Johnson, who injured his back in a fall against Pittsburgh in the previous game, the Wolfpack missed 13 of its first 14 3-point attempts and fell behind by as many as 22 early in the second half. State rallied to tie the game at 58 with 7:46 left on the strength of a 15-0 run. But its comeback ran out of steam. Wake finally put the game away on a basket and two free throws in the final minute by graduate guard Torry Smith.

2017-18 -- State 90, Wake 84: Even in victory, the Wolfpack didn't make things easy on itself, letting a 14-point second half lead dwindle down to just four in the final minute before holding off the Deacons. Allerik Freeman scored 24 points to lead State.

2016-17 -- Wake 88, State 58: The 30-point margin in coach Mark Gottfried's final season was the largest in the series since an 87-57 loss to the Deacons in 1980. John Collins scored 23 points to lead Wake to its first season sweep of State in 12 years.

  2015-16 -- Wake 77, State 74: The Deacons held off the Wolfpack in a game that saw dramatic momentum shifts. Wake produced the first one by running of 13 unanswered points early in the second half. State then countered with a 21-4 spurt to take a 46-44 lead. But Wake then scored the next six points and never trailed again. Cat Barber led the Wolfpack with 26 points.

2014-15 -- Wake 88 State 84: State held Wake without a field goal for six minutes in the second half  allowing it to go on a 19-2 run, but even that wasn't enough to overcome a 24-point deficit with 13:33 remaining. Barber had another big game in a losing effort, going for a career-high 28 points. 

2013-14 -- Wake 70, State 69: Des Lee made two free throws with 10.5 seconds left to give the Wolfpack a one-point lead. But after a timeout, State allowed Codi Miller-McIntyre to drive the length of the court for what turned out to be the basket with 4.9 seconds remaining.

2012-13 -- Wake 86, State 84: The Wolfpack led by 16 in the first half and were still up 47-35 at halftime but the Deacons exploded for 51 second half points to rally for the victory. Devin Thomas led Wake with 25 points and 14 rebounds. Rodney Purvis (remember him?) was State's top scorer with 18 points.