RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – North Carolina State took hold of the game midway through the first half and hung on for a 60-54 win over Clemson Saturday afternoon at PNC Arena.
D.J. Funderburk had 13 points and 11 rebounds for his first career double-double.
Clemson was riding a three-game win streak in which it beat N.C. State and Duke at home, and beat North Carolina for its first win in Chapel Hill.
N.C. State’s defense kept the Tigers off the board as they missed their first five attempts from the field. Aamir Sims, who made their first shot, helped them to a 15-8 lead over the Wolfpack with 12:17 left in the half.
But after trailing 16-13 with 10:07 left until the break, the Wolfpack ended up taking a 36-24 lead into halftime. Six different N.C. State players scored over that 10-minute stretch.
Clemson had the first two buckets of the second half, but an 11-0 spurt bookended by C.J. Bryce 3-pointers put the Wolfpack ahead 47-29 with 15:16 to go.
The Tigers made it a two-possession game, 56-50, with less than a minute and a half to go, but Braxton Beverly nailed a trey at the end of the shot clock to extinguish any hopes of a Clemson comeback.
It was Beverly’s only basket of the game.
N.C. State faces a quick turnaround with a trip to Virginia on Monday. Clemson heads home to host Wake Forest on Tuesday.
Funderburk, Markell Johnson, and Devon Daniels had 13 points apiece for the Wolfpack.
Simms had 18 points to lead Clemson.
