NC State basketball answered its critics Tuesday night with a defining road statement, using resilience and execution to reshape the narrative surrounding its season.
The Wolfpack defeated the SMU Mustangs 84–83 at Moody Coliseum, improving to 17–6 overall and 8–2 in conference play. The victory extended NC State’s winning streak to five games and strengthened its road profile ahead of March.
NC State faced adversity early as SMU built a 13-point first-half lead while feeding off a hostile home crowd. The Wolfpack responded with pace, spacing, and perimeter shooting, methodically clawing back into the contest.
Darrion Williams, a forward for the Wolfpack, spearheaded the offensive effort with 25 points, which included six three-pointers. Point guard Quadir Copeland orchestrated the offense with precision, recording 16 assists without a turnover while adding 10 rebounds. Over the course of the evening, NC State maintained a competitive edge due to its well-rounded offensive strategy.
The final seconds defined the outcome. With NC State clinging to an 84–83 lead, Copeland missed two free throws, giving SMU one last opportunity. The Mustangs regained possession, but guard Tre Holloman delivered a game-saving block on Boopie Miller at the buzzer to secure the win.
Following the victory, On3Sports' Noah Fleischman, after speaking with NC State Athletics broadcaster Matt Chazanow, shared passionate postgame comments from head coach Will Wade on X (formerly known as Twitter), underscoring that the team clearly heard its doubters.
“We heard all the chatter that we were beating up on the bottom of the league. All right, we’ve now beaten two of the top teams on the road.”
NC State coach Will Wade after the 84-83 win at SMU to @M_Chaz: "We heard all the chatter that we were beating up on the bottom of the league. All right, we've now beaten two of the top teams on the road."
— Noah Fleischman (@fleischman_noah) February 4, 2026
The remarks reflected growing frustration with outside skepticism. Wade has leaned into that criticism, using it as fuel to sharpen his roster through difficult road environments.
The Wolfpack now own one of the conference’s strongest road records, a critical factor for tournament positioning and conference seeding.
As February begins to take shape, NC State continues to stack valuable wins. Tuesday’s result did more than add a win—it delivered a clear response to the team's doubters.
