NC State returns to action on Wednesday, Feb. 7 as the Pack will close its three-game homestand with a matchup against Pitt. Tipoff between the Wolfpack and Panthers is slated for 7 p.m., with the first of two matchups this season between the ACC foes to be televised on ESPNU.

The NC State men's basketball team (15-7, 7-4 ACC) plays its final home game of a three-game home stretch Wednesday evening when it hosts Pitt (14-8, 5-6 ACC) inside PNC Arena.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the game will be televised on ESPNU. NC State fans can also listen to Gary Hahn and Tony Haynes call the action on the Wolfpack Sports Network.

NC State Series with Pitt
- Wednesday will be the 26th all-time meeting between the two programs. NC State leads the series, 21-44.
- Kevin Keatts has a 7-2 record against the Panthers as head coach of the Pack.

- Last Meeting (Dec. 2, 2022): Pitt handed the Pack one of just two home losses last season, defeating the Pack, 68-60, inside PNC Arena in both teams ACC opener. NC State shot just 35 percent from the field against Pitt in the loss. The Pack were led by Terquavion Smith and DJ Burns on the offensive end, with Smith totaling 15 points and Burns adding 13. The Pack scored the first basket of the second half to get within three, 33-30, but NC State could get no closer. The Panthers stretched its lead to 11 early in the second half. A 7-0 run brought NC State within four, but Pitt had an answer for every Pack threat and pulled away to win.

https://gopack.com/news/2024/2/6/mens-basketball-pack-closes-homestand-with-visit-from-pitt

Pittsburgh at North Carolina State ESPNU, 7 p.m.

Back in our house tonight 😤

🆚 Pitt
🕖 7:00 PM
📍 @PNCArena
📺 ESPNU #GoPack pic.twitter.com/26FL9RdQzm

— NC State Men's Basketball (@PackMensBball) February 7, 2024

Pitt at NC State
Men's College Basketball
7 pm ET
ESPNU

@jaltersports (pbp) & @debbieantonelli (analyst) #CBB #MBB

Pitt at NC State
Men’s College Basketball
7 pm ET
ESPNU
 @jaltersports (pbp) & @debbieantonelli (analyst) #CBB #MBB

— Announcer Schedules (@announcerskeds) February 7, 2024

The NC State men's basketball team (15-8, 7-5) fell to Pitt (15-8, 6-6) 67-64, Wednesday evening in PNC Arena.

The Wolfpack was led by DJ Horne who posted a game high 25 points. Forward DJ Burns, Jr. added a season-best 19 points and grabbed five boards. Senior guard Michael O'Connell dished out a team high four assists, while grabbing five rebounds and adding two points to his stat line.

After trailing by as many as 11 (24-13) midway through the first, the Wolfpack began to claw back into the contest after buckets by Ben Middlebrooks and Burns, followed by back-to-back treys from Horne that narrowed Pitt's lead to three. The Pack managed to tie the game 30-all with just under 4:00 to play after another three-pointer by Horne.

Pitt though answered NC State's 13-4 run with an 8-0 scoring run of its own that gave the Panthers a 38-30 advantage over NC State at the break.

Pitt kept its run going at the beginning of the second half, taking its largest lead of the game on a three-point play by Jaland Lowe to give the Panthers a 43-30 advantage just 40 seconds into the final frame.

The Pack fought back into it with an 8-0 run that closed Pitt's lead to five, 45-40, with 16:04 to go. The Panthers scored the next five points to regain a double-digit advantage, but the Pack again had a response, going on a 9-2 run to get within three with a little over 11 minutes to play.

NC State finally caught up to Pitt with 7:40 remaining in the game as Casey Morsell drained a corner three-pointer to knot the game at 56.

After both teams missed the front end of a one-and-one, NC State took its first lead since it was 5-3 on a Burns lay-up with 6:30 to play.

Burns basket though proved to be one of the final buckets of the game for the Pack though as NC State would only make two field goals the rest of the game. Pitt would retake the lead on back-to-back baskets. Horne tied the game at 60 with a jumper with 4:16 to play, but on the Panthers next possession Pitt got two offensive rebounds before finally capitalizing with an Ishmael Leggett lay-up with 3:40 to play gave the Panthers a 62-60 lead.

Leggett's basket was the last bucket for one three minutes until Pitt clinging to a 63-62 lead got a put-back lay-up by Federiko Federiko to take a 65-62 lead with 30 seconds to play.

Mohamed Diarra would get a rebound putback of his own on the Pack's next possession to cut the deficit to one, but Pitt made both of its free throws to finish the scoring.

The Panthers were led by Jaland Lowe who scored 20 points and Blake Hinson added 16 points. Federiko led Pitt with 10 rebounds.

NC State returns to action on Saturday, February 10 as it travels to Winston-Salem to take on Wake Forest inside Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Tipoff for the second meeting of the season between the two in-state ACC foes is set for 4:00 p.m. on ACC Network.

https://gopack.com/news/2024/2/7/mens-basketball-late-efforts-fall-short-against-pitt