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Cardiac Pack Survives Another Road Test Against SMU

Will Wade and NC State continued to thrive away from Raleigh with another massive victory, this time over SMU.
Tucker Sennett|
Jan 24, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; NC State Wolfpack guard Quadir Copeland (11) reacts to the Pittsburgh student section after a made basket against the Panthers during the second half at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Jan 24, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; NC State Wolfpack guard Quadir Copeland (11) reacts to the Pittsburgh student section after a made basket against the Panthers during the second half at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

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North Carolina State Wolfpack

NC State entered Moody Coliseum with a perfect record on the road since the start of conference play, facing a talented SMU team with tournament hopes. The Wolfpack rode a dominant second-half shooting performance to a narrow 84-83 win over the Mustangs. 

It all came down to the final possession for NC State, which had to survive another heroic attempt from Boopie Miller of SMU. Tre Holloman came up with a clutch stop, giving the Pack yet another thrilling victory on the road. Will Wade’s point guard, Quadir Copeland, orchestrated a masterful performance in the win, while elite shot-making from both teams offered a seesaw battle late Tuesday night. I

Keeping up with a buzzsaw 

Jaron Pierre
Jan 17, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; SMU Mustangs guard Jaron Pierre Jr. (5) grabs a rebound against the Virginia Cavaliers during the first half at Moody Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The trio of elite SMU guards each quickly established themselves in the game, with Miller, B.J Edwards and Jaron Pierre combining for 27 of 42 points for the Mustangs in the first half. With them dictating the tempo and flow of the game early, NC State just needed to survive until the moment came to make a push. 

One run looked like it might cause an avalanche, as the Mustangs scored eight points in less than a minute to push their lead to 11. However, Wolfpack senior forward Darrion Williams quieted the crowd at Moody Coliseum with a deep 3-point shot to cut things to eight. After a stop just before halftime, NC State kept the game within reach at 42-34. 

Offensively, Williams was the only consistent answer Wade’s team had for SMU in the first half. The forward scored 10 of his team-high 25 points in the first 20 minutes, sinking a pair of triples on five attempts from beyond the arc. Turnovers held Williams back early, as he gave it away sloppily out of the team’s porch action twice in the first half. 

Copeland “Passterclass” 

Already playing at an incredibly high level, Quadir Copeland continued his stretch of elite passing and decision-making. The 6-foot-6 point guard put on a clinic in the first half, accounting for 22 of 34 NC State points with either passes or assists in the first half. By the 15:27 mark of the second half, Copeland already racked up 10 of State’s 11 assists.

Shortly after racking up his 11th assist, Copeland dove on the ground for a loose ball and had his ankle rolled up on. He checked out of the game despite waiving off the substitute and was forced to watch as his team tried to fight its way back in the game. 

After checking back in, Copeland picked up right where he left off. He added three more assists in the midst of a dominant Wolfpack run. His 15th assist marked the most by a Wolfpack player since Dennis Smith Jr. in 2017. The savvy guard posted the rare double-double without points. 

Despite ending the game with some missed free throws in clutch time, Copeland’s performance was about as good as it gets for a point guard. He finished with seven points, 10 rebounds and 16 assists, taking just four shots in the game. He did not turn the ball over. The 16 assists marked the most by a Wolfpack player since Dennis Smith Jr. in 2017.

Elite shot-making

To keep up with the offensive prowess of SMU, NC State needed to start knocking some shots down. The Wolfpack did just that in the second half, while Pierre fired away with some high-level scoring of his own. Williams stepped up to the plate with some of his best shot-making as a member of the Wolfpack, keeping his team attached with three after three. 

A 12-2 run helped NC State shoot out in front of the Mustangs for the first time since early in the first half. Freshman guard Matt Able, who missed his first four attempts from 3-point range, buried a clutch corner three to finally give the Pack a one-point lead just before the 10-minute mark. 

Things didn’t end with Able’s first three. Copeland got Paul McNeil involved, as the sharpshooting sophomore buried a pair of corner threes sandwiched around another make from Able to put the Wolfpack up 71-62. Able scored 11, while McNeil added nine of his own, each contributing major shots in the second half. At one point, NC State scored on 10 consecutive possessions. 

SMU wouldn’t disappear on its home floor, of course, especially with Pierre on the floor. The Mustangs cut the lead back to three just before the under-four-minute timeout, but Williams had another answer. The forward’s sixth make from 3-point range put NC State up six before another SMU bucket inside. The Pack had to survive for three and a half minutes to escape with the win. 

Final word

The Quadrant 1 woes of the Wolfpack seem to be a thing of the past, as Tuesday’s victory marked another win over a highly-rated opponent on the road, just like the one against Clemson two weeks earlier. 

NC State moved to 17-6 overall and 8-2 in ACC play, likely boosting its tournament resume greatly with the thrilling victory. The Pack will head back to Raleigh and start preparing for another tough test, as it hosts Virginia Tech on Saturday.

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Tucker Sennett
TUCKER SENNETT

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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