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Reacting to Yet Another Wolfpack Road Victory

On this episode of the NC State Insider Podcast, get a full breakdown of the Pack's 96-78 win over Wake Forest.
Tucker Sennett|
Jan 10, 2026; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Terrance Arceneaux (21) passes the ball as Florida State Seminoles guard Kobe MaGee (5) looks on during the second half at Donald L. Tucker Center. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images
Jan 10, 2026; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Terrance Arceneaux (21) passes the ball as Florida State Seminoles guard Kobe MaGee (5) looks on during the second half at Donald L. Tucker Center. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

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North Carolina State Wolfpack

NC State men's basketball secured its seventh win of the conference season, knocking off Wake Forest 96-78 on the road. The Wolfpack continued its perfect start to ACC play on the road, winning a fifth-straight game away from the Lenovo Center, this time in impressive fashion on the offensive end.

Coach Will Wade got two stellar shooting performances, as Paul McNeil and Darrion Williams combined for 48 points and 11 of the team's 16 makes from 3-point range. The Demon Deacons had no answer for the stellar shooting of the Wolfpack, but did make a push in the second half, cutting the NC State lead to as few as seven points.

It marked the Wolfpack's second win of the season over Wake Forest, as it held off the Demon Deacons back in Raleigh in the ACC opener. Saturday's win marked a significant offensive improvement for NC State against Wake Forest, as it scored just 70 points in the first go-around.

On this episode of the NC State Insider Podcast, host and lead beat writer Tucker Sennett provides a comprehensive breakdown of the Wolfpack's 16th win of the 2025-26 season, breaking down how the Pack got the job done on the offensive end against the Demon Deacons.

Watch the new episode here

More on the Wolfpack's impressive victory

NC State's torrid start shooting the basketball allowed it to shoot out to a significant enough lead that it outlasted any push from Wake Forest in the second half. Any success for the Demon Deacons stemmed from the performance of veteran guard Juke Harris, who scored a career-high 31 points, but still walked away with the loss.

While he scored 20 points, Williams sat out the final 11 minutes of the game. After the win, Wade explained that the forward was dealing with achilles tightness, but was cleared to play. Since the game never felt out of control, Wade and his staff never felt obligated to put Williams back in for any reason.

The Wolfpack's impressive work in the ACC schedule so far changed the tune for the rest of the season, although the road forward is loaded with challenges. Multiple Quadrant 1 opportunities still await the Pack, with several of them coming on the road against some of the ACC's best teams.

If NC State can maintain the level of consistency it has shown of late, it could be poised for an impressive push the rest of the way.

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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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