South Raleigh News

The NC State men's basketball team is set to continue its season-opening homestand with a game against Presbyterian at the Lenovo Center. The match is scheduled for Friday evening at 7 p.m. and will be available for streaming on ACC Network Extra, featuring commentary by Andrew Sanders and Casey Morsell. Fans can also tune in to the Wolfpack Sports Network for coverage by Matt Chazanow and Tony Haynes.

NC State began its season with a decisive 97-66 victory over USC Upstate, marking the team's 30th win in their last 31 home-openers against non-conference opponents. The game showcased a balanced scoring effort from NC State, with four players reaching double figures and eight players scoring eight or more points.

Breon Pass had a standout performance, scoring a career-high 14 points and matching his career-high of four assists. Ben Middlebrooks achieved his second career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, alongside tying his career-high of four blocks. Marcus Hill made an impressive debut for NC State, tying Pass for team-high scoring honors with 14 points.

The bench contributed significantly to the win, adding 47 points led by Brandon Huntley-Hatfield's 13 points. This marks the fourth-most bench points in the Kevin Keatts era. Additionally, NC State recorded 22 assists during the game, the most in a single game since November 2020.

In recent seasons and Monday's opener, NC State holds a strong record of 28-7 (.800) in home games under head coach Kevin Keatts, including an undefeated streak against non-conference opponents at home (51-2). The team has been effective defensively as well, holding USC Upstate to just 33.9% shooting from the field.

Friday's game will be the third meeting between NC State and Presbyterian, with NC State winning both previous encounters. Their last matchup was on November 16, 2017, where NC State overcame an eight-point halftime deficit to secure an 86-68 victory.