NC State is back in action Saturday when it travels to Chapel Hill to take on ninth-ranked North Carolina. Tipoff at the Smith Center is scheduled for 4 p.m. and the game will be televised on ESPN.

The NC State men's basketball team travels west on I-40 to Chapel Hill Saturday afternoon to face ninth-ranked North Carolina.

The game against the Tar Heels tips off at 4 p.m. and the game will be televised on ESPN. NC State fans can also listen to Gary Hahn and Tony Haynes call the action on the Wolfpack Sports Network.

NC State series with North Carolina
- Saturday is the 246th meeting all-time between NC State and North Carolina. The Tar Heels lead the all-time series, 165-80, and have won 30 of the 37 meetings between the teams at the Smith Center.

https://gopack.com/news/2024/3/1/mens-basketball-pack-heads-to-chapel-hill-to-face-unc-saturday

North Carolina State at North Carolina ESPN, 4 p.m.

🗣️ GAMEDAY

🆚 North Carolina
🕓 4:00 PM
📍 Chapel Hill, NC
📺 ESPN #GoPack pic.twitter.com/BZ4HkqExnK

— NC State Men's Basketball (@PackMensBball) March 2, 2024

NC State at North Carolina
Men's College Basketball
4 pm ET
ESPN

Dave O'Brien (pbp) & @CoryAlexanderVA (analyst) #CBB #MBB

NC State at North Carolina
Men’s College Basketball
4 pm ET
ESPN

Dave O'Brien (pbp) & @CoryAlexanderVA (analyst) #CBB #MBB

— Announcer Schedules (@announcerskeds) March 2, 2024

A cold-shooting second half doomed NC State on Saturday evening as the Pack shot just 22.2 percent in the final 20 minutes to fall to North Carolina, 79-70, inside the Dean E. Smith Center.

The Pack had an eight-point advantage at halftime after shooting 57.6 percent in the opening period. NC State scored the first basket of the second half on a Casey Morsell jumper in the lane to extend its lead to 10, 47-37, with 19:32 remaining, but after that basket NC State would miss its next 15 shots. The Pack would finally break its cold streak with a Jayden Taylor three-pointer with 8:52 remaining, but by that time the Tar Heels had taken a 10-point deficit and turned it into a 10-point advantage.

Overall, the Tar Heels outscored the Pack, 32-9, between made baskets for NC State.

Taylor led NC State with 22 points. The Indianapolis, Ind., native came off the bench to shoot 6-of-10 from the field, including 5-of-7 from three-point range. The five three-pointers are a season-high.

Taylor has now led NC State in scoring in back-to-back games after tying his career-high with 24 points on Tuesday night at Florida State.

DJ Horne added 20 points as he and Taylor were the only two NC State players to reach double figures.

The first half saw the teams exchanged the lead 12 times before The Pack closed the first half on a 14-1 run to take a 45-37 lead into the break.

An offensive rebound and put-back dunk by Harrison Ingram with 4:37 left in the opening half gave UNC a 36-31 lead, but that would prove to be the Tar Heels last basket of the first 20 minutes. Taylor made a three-pointer on the Pack's ensuing possession and Mohamed Diarra followed up with a three 20 seconds later to push NC State into the lead.

After a free throw cut the Pack's lead to two, 39-37, NC State scored the final six points of the half, closing the period on a Horne jumper to go into the locker room with an eight point advantage.

North Carolina was led by Ingram's 22 points. Elliott Cadeau added 15 points and a game-high seven assists.

NC State is back in action Monday night when it hosts Duke in the final home game of the 2023-24 season. Tipoff at PNC Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the game will be televised on ESPN.

https://gopack.com/news/2024/3/2/mens-basketball-pack-falls-to-tar-heels-79-70