NC State Hangs On Late, Stuns SMU 84-83 to Tie Best ACC Start in 20 Years

NC State continues to prove it thrives away from home.

The Wolfpack survived a wild finish in Dallas on Tuesday night, edging SMU 84-83 to improve to 8-2 in ACC play, tying the program’s best conference start in 20 years. The win also marked NC State’s second straight Quad 1 victory, further strengthening an already impressive résumé.

Copeland Delivers a Historic Night

The story of the night belonged to senior guard Quadir Copeland, who delivered one of the most efficient point guard performances in school history.

Copeland finished with 16 assists and zero turnovers, tying for the fourth-most assists in a single game in NC State history. Even more remarkable, he paired that with 10 rebounds, recording a rare double-double without scoring in double figures.

Sixteen assists. Zero turnovers. Complete control.

Williams Stays Red-Hot From Deep

Senior forward Darrion Williams continued his torrid stretch, pouring in 25 points on 8-of-18 shooting, including 6-of-12 from three-point range.

Williams has now scored 20+ points in three straight games for the first time this season, and for the first time in his career, he has hit five or more threes in three consecutive games.

Balanced Support Carries the Pack

NC State also received meaningful contributions throughout the rotation:

• Tre Holloman scored 11 points, marking his first back-to-back 10+ point games since mid-December.
• Freshman Matt Able added 13 points, his highest output since January 10.
• Senior Forward Ven-Allen Lubin had 11 points on 4 of 7 shooting.

Winning the Margins

While SMU shot the ball about two percent better overall, NC State made the difference where it mattered:

• +4 advantage in made three-pointers
• +5 edge at the free-throw line
• +3 points off turnovers
• +5 second-chance points

For the sixth time this season, NC State knocked down 16 or more three-pointers, finishing 16-of-36 from deep.

To put that in perspective:
Before Will Wade arrived, NC State had recorded six such performances in 1,300 games.
Wade’s Wolfpack has now matched that total in just 23 games.

Bigger Than One Win

This group continues to show resilience, poise, and confidence in hostile environments. Tuesday night’s win wasn’t flashy, but it was meaningful – the kind of victory that separates contenders from pretenders.

The Wolfpack is rolling, and the road doesn’t scare them one bit.

The full box score is below.