NC State Rights the Ship With Win Over Boston College
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RALEIGH — After dropping a disappointing home game to Virginia, NC State men’s basketball hit the road for the first time in league play, making the trip to Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, to face Boston College (7-8, 0-2 ACC). The Wolfpack (11-5, 2-1 ACC) didn’t play a perfect game, but it got the job done against the Eagles, winning 79-71.
Will Wade got some valuable contributions from a few players who desperately needed to turn things around, including star forward Darrion Williams, who finally regained his rhythm scoring the basketball. The victory helped the Pack regain some confidence and set up a nice break before another road trip.
Williams gets off the schneid
Have a night, @OfficialDW03 🤝
— ACC Men's Basketball (@accmbb) January 7, 2026
📺 @accnetwork x @PackMensBball pic.twitter.com/oclT4cOUkW
In the last three games of the season, Williams scored 16 points combined, shooting 21.4% from the field. The Texas Tech transfer took the court donning a new headband for the first time all year and immediately showed more aggression and comfort than he had in a few weeks. He scored nine points in the first 10 minutes of the game and led the Wolfpack with 12 at the half.
Things slowed down as Boston College’s fairly stout defense started to button things up against NC State. As Wade said during his profanity-laced rant following Williams’ performance against Wake Forest, the forward affects winning, and did so against the Eagles. With Quadir Copeland in foul trouble, Williams operated as the team’s point-forward down the stretch, offering Wade an additional ball handler in a situation where he desperately needed one.
Late night hoops 🤝 @OfficialDW03 pic.twitter.com/QNeNMpFfUM
— NC State Men's Basketball (@PackMensBball) January 7, 2026
The senior forward finished with 22 points, shooting 8-for-18 from the field. He added two assists and four rebounds. He buried his third triple just before the under-four-minute media timeout to put NC State up 11, ending hopes of a BC comeback, finishing the game with four makes from beyond the arc.
Bench contributions
With Tre Holloman sidelined after injuring his ankle against the Cavaliers, the Wolfpack needed more production off the bench to make up for his missing scoring. Wade turned to freshman guard Matt Able, who struggled with consistency of late, for more scoring. He also looked for some defensive intensity off the bench from Terrance Arceneaux, who appeared to be exiled from the rotation after the Wake Forest win.
Both players showed up and helped NC State win the ugly game. Able was aggressive off the bench, quickly checking into the game and hunting for his offense, as Wade supposedly gave him more of a green light according to his pregame radio appearance. The four-star freshman ended up scoring 11 points, making three of his four attempts from 3-point range, tying a career-high
TA making an immediate impact. pic.twitter.com/o3JH5p0Sno
— NC State Men's Basketball (@PackMensBball) January 7, 2026
The surprise scoring production came from Arceneaux, who checked into the game early and quickly buried a pair of 3-point shots. The Houston transfer scored 12 in the win and added some much-needed energy on the defensive end, walking away with two steals and a block. Arceneuax appeared to injure himself late in the game, however.
Overall, the bench helped NC State greatly after largely disappearing against Virginia. The reserves scored 31 points, while the Eagle bench added just 12.
Another landmark night for the wrong team
NC State’s defense is making a habit of letting opponents reach landmark scoring numbers. Kevin Overton of Auburn. Jordan Pope with Texas. Melvin Council Jr. with Kansas. Boston College guard Fred Payne became the latest to torch the defense, scoring a career-high 24 points.
When previewing the matchup, Wade indicated that the Wolfpack was more concerned with Donald Hand, the team’s leading scorer. Hand got things going late and finished with 14. The Pack must figure out how to avoid surprises like the one Payne provided on Tuesday.
Final word
The Pack got some valuable work from Copeland, who finished with 10 assists, accounting for more than half of the team’s 18 total dimes. Getting Williams going once again was crucial for an NC State team that needed more from its star player. If the star forward is feeling comfortable enough once again, the Pack could be ready to make a much stronger push through league play.
Now, Wade, Williams and the Wolfpack can turn their attention to Florida State and another road trip 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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