Virginia Tech Hokies vs NC State Wolfpack Match Player Stats On Jan 19, 2022

Virginia Tech scored the game's first 15 points but had to hold on down the stretch to defeat host North Carolina State 62-59 on Wednesday night at Raleigh, N.C.

Justyn Mutts scored 13 points and Keve Aluma added 10 points and 11 rebounds as Virginia Tech (10-7, 2-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) won consecutive league games for the first time this season.

N.C. State had two second-half stretches of more than three minutes without scoring and still had a chance after Dereon Seabron scored consecutive baskets in a 21-second stretch, trimming the hole to 60-57 with 1:15 to play.

Seabron scored again with 20 seconds to go to make it a one-point game before Sean Pedulla sank a pair of free throws for Virginia Tech with 12 seconds remaining. Those were just the third and fourth free-throw attempts of the game for the Hokies, who avenged a loss from earlier in the month.

Both teams called timeouts before Terquavion Smith's potential tying 3-pointer was off the mark.

Jericole Hellems racked up 15 points, Smith added 14 points and Seabron finished with 13 points for N.C. State (9-10, 2-6). Casey Morsell scored 11 points off the Wolfpack bench.

Smith made half of N.C. State's eight 3-point baskets, taking 13 attempts.

Virginia Tech built a 15-0 lead while NC State needed more than seven minutes before securing its first points. The margin grew to 19-2.

It was 35-21 at halftime as the Hokies hit 53.3 percent of their first-half shots from the field. Still, Morsell was the game's top scorer at the break with eight points, nearly outscoring his team's starters (who combined for nine first-half points). He was 2-for-2 on 3s while the rest of the Wolfpack was a combined 0-for-11 from long range in the first half.

N.C. State closed within 45-41 by the 13:13 mark before the first of those three-minute scoring droughts.

Yet Hellems hit a 3-pointer to draw the Wolfpack within 55-53 with 5:33 left.

N.C. State beat the Hokies 68-63 on Jan. 4 for a road victory.

--Field Level Media