RALEIGH
N.C. State’s flair for the dramatics showed up again on Saturday.
The Wolfpack fell to Miami, 77-76, on Saturday at Lenovo Center, losing back-to-back games for the first time in ACC play and the second time overall this season.
N.C. State (18-8, 9-4 ACC) engaged in a back-and-forth contest all game, which included 19 lead changes and 14 ties, plenty of barking between the two teams, a scuffle on a play for the loose ball, a technical foul and a controversial foul call with 3 seconds to go.
After leading by seven points with 1 minute, 7 seconds to go, a 5-0 Miami run, aided by two N.C. State backcourt turnovers, cut the Wolfpack lead to two points.
Then, Darrion Williams fouled out with 3.7 seconds left, a controversial call on a 3-point shot the Pack bench and fans believed was a clean block.
N.C. State’s Darrion Williams fouls Miami’s Tru Washington in the final minute of the Wolfpack’s 77-76 loss on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026, at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C. Kaitlin McKeown The News & Observer
Miami (20-5, 9-3) went to the line, where Tru Washington made all three free throws to give Miami a one-point lead. Wolfpack freshman Matt Able hustled the ball up court, but his heave from just inside the half-court line missed, leading to another gutting loss.
“Just poor execution on our part,” N.C. State head coach Will Wade said. “I mean, we’ve got a seven-point lead, give up an and-1, we can’t get the ball in bounds, throw it to the corner twice. Guards don’t get open in the middle of the court. The six-minute game. We played one yesterday, and we didn’t execute. When you don’t execute, you deserve the results that you get.”
Wade said he probably should’ve called a timeout after the first turnover, but the team practices the press offense every day.
“We work on that,” Wade said. “We shouldn’t need to call timeouts on that.”
Williams had a tough game for the Pack. With less than 6 minutes left, he was called for a dead-ball technical foul after a play on a loose ball between him and Tre Donaldson led the Wolfpack forward shoving the Canes opponent off of him. Donaldson made both free throws, putting the Canes up four points with 5:43 left on the clock.
N.C. State’s Quadir Copeland and Darrion Williams scramble for a loose ball with Miami’s Tre Donaldson and Malik Reneau during the second half of the Wolfpack’s 77-76 loss on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026, at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C. Kaitlin McKeown The News & Observer
N.C. State responded with an 11-0 run to take a seven-point lead. The stretch included a traditional three-point play from Ven-Allen Lubin, who made the layup and free throw to put his team back up one. Despite leading 79-69 with the clock ticked under a minute, the Pack couldn’t hang on for the win.
Miami’s Malik Reneau started the game 5 for 5 from the field and reached the double-figure mark halfway through the first half. After scoring 16 points in the opening period, Reneau finished with 26 points to lead all scorers. The big man entered the contest scoring 19.2 points per ACC game, ranking No. 5 in the league.
Shelton Henderson (17 points), Donaldson (14) and Washington (13) added double figures for the Hurricanes.
Miami tops paint points
Miami came to Raleigh with an elite interior offense, taking two-thirds of its field-goal attempts inside the arc and shooting 59% on its 2-point attempts.
Ten of the Hurricanes’ first 11 points came in the paint. The other was on a free throw after Henderson drew a foul on a drive inside. They continued to pound the interior, scoring 30 of their 37 first-half points in the lane.
The Hurricanes finished with 56 points in the paint, accounting for 72% of their scoring against N.C. State.
Wade said he didn’t have a specific number he wanted to hold the Canes under, but he wanted to limit their interior scoring as much as possible.
“The closer you get it to the basket, the more you can offensive rebound, the more other things can happen,” Wade said. “Just wanted to keep it out of there, but we hadn’t been very good at that all year.”
In ACC play, N.C. State is giving up 30.5 points in the paint per game. It allowed just over 35 points in the paint in the last five games, including 40 against Louisville. This was the second consecutive game that the Pack allowed 40 or more points in the paint.
Miami entered Saturday’s game averaging 40.9 points in the paint per game. Overall, the Hurricanes came in having piled up a plus-122 margin in paint points against their previous 11 conference opponents.
In the previous four games, Miami had outscored its opponents by at least 14 points in the paint, a stretch that included pounding Cal 48-26 and UNC 46-28 down low.
Clemson is the only ACC opponent Miami hasn’t beaten on the battle inside.
According to Synergy Sports, the Hurricanes entered the game taking 64% of their shots in the halfcourt at the rim or in the paint. Half of its shots when playing in the halfcourt were taken at the rim. Roughly two-thirds of Miami’s transition shots were taken at the rim, as well.
It ranks in the 99th percentile for basket attempts at the rim. Its 70% shooting efficiency at the rim ranks within the 96th percentile, according to Synergy.
N.C. State head coach Will Wade speaks with an official during a timeout in the first half of the Wolfpack’s game against Miami on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026, at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C. Kaitlin McKeown The News & Observer Pack blitzed on the boards
Miami dominated N.C. State on the glass to start the game, and it never really let up.
The Hurricanes held a 15-7 rebounding advantage early in the first half, before taking a plus-7 rebounding margin into halftime. That led to 13 second-chance points.
Miami started the second half with the same tenacity off the glass, but the Wolfpack made several clutch rebounds, including Lubin’s offensive board and tip-in, down the stretch.
The Hurricanes finished with a 40-29 margin on the boards. It was led by Henderson with nine rebounds.
Half of Miami’s rebounds came on the offensive end, leading to 22 second-chance points.
The Canes are one of the best rebounding teams in the ACC. They average 38.7 rebounds per game and 12 on the offensive end.
Additionally, the Hurricanes give up an offensive rebound on 22.2% of an opponent’s opportunities, while collecting its own board on 32.7% of its chances.
Ernest Udeh ranks No. 2 in league play with 9.4 rebounds per game. He finished with nine. Reneau entered the game averaging 6.5 boards per conference game.
N.C. State’s Matt Able said the Hurricanes had a size and weight advantage, but rebounding and success in the paint often comes down to wanting it more and being the aggressor.
“I think we did that at times, but sometimes we didn’t, Able said. “Definitely something we can improve on.”
NC State showcases balanced scoring
The N.C. State roster doesn’t have a singular star and relies on a well-rounded offensive attack to win games.
Five players finished in double figures. Able and Lubin led the team with 17 points each. Able hit the double-digit mark in the first half, scoring 15 points. His final total is a new career high for the freshman.
“Matt was really good. Had a great first half, made some big plays in the second half, as well,” Wade said. “He’s coming along. He’s doing a good job. Really proud of him. He does play with some toughness. He does play with an edge. He’s got some good stuff to him. Very, very pleased.”
Paul McNeil scored 14 for the Pack, all in the second half. Williams and Quadir Copeland finished with 11 each.
N.C. State’s roster features five players averaging double figures in points: Williams (14.4), McNeil (13.6), Copeland (13.9) Ven-Allen Lubin (13.6) and Tre Holloman (10.4). Holloman was held to two points on 0-for-5 shooting.
N.C. State is now 7-1 during ACC play when at least four players reach the double-digit threshold.
Additionally, in its losses, the Wolfpack was held under 80 points.
N.C. State’s Tre Holloman drives to the basket against Miami’s Malik Reneau during the second half of the Wolfpack’s 77-76 loss on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026, at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C. Kaitlin McKeown The News & Observer
This story was originally published February 14, 2026 at 6:39 PM.
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