Virginia defeats NC State 61-76

Virginia Takes Down NC State 76-61 in Conference Showdown

The Virginia Cavaliers (24-5, 12-2 ACC) extended their winning streak to five games with a convincing 76-61 victory over the NC State Wolfpack (16-8, 7-4 ACC) on Sunday at Lenovo Center. The visiting Hoosiers dominated the game from start to finish, outscoring their hosts in both halves and building a 15-point lead that they never relinquished.

At halftime, Virginia trailed by just eight points, but came out strong in the second half, pushing their advantage to as many as 27 points. NC State's offense struggled to find its rhythm, shooting just 36.0% from the field and committing 10 turnovers.

For the Wolfpack, Quadir Copeland led the way with 15 points on 2-4 three-point shooting, while Darrion Williams chipped in with seven rebounds and seven points off the bench. However, it was not enough to overcome the depth of Virginia's offense, which got contributions from several players, including Sam Lewis' 23 points.

Malik Thomas led Virginia with seven rebounds and 13 points, while Chance Mallory added four assists and seven points.

The game was marked by low turnover rates for both teams, with NC State committing just 10 turnovers to Virginia's 14. The Hoosiers also outrebounded the Wolfpack 36-24, a significant advantage that allowed them to control the pace of the game.

In the advanced statistics department, Virginia's true shooting percentage (64.8%) was significantly higher than NC State's (50.0%), indicating an edge in efficiency for the visiting team. The Hoosiers also held a slight edge in effective field goal percentage (62.5% vs 41.0%).

The win marked a significant statement from Virginia, who have now risen to 3rd place in the ACC standings. They will look to continue their momentum when they travel to face Florida State next week.

For NC State, the loss drops them to third in the conference and leaves them with an uphill battle to catch up with the leaders.