NC State is 8-1 when the Wolfpack win the battle of the paint.
The Wolfpack are 1-6 when it ties or is outscored in the paint. The Tar Heels won the pain battle 34-28 on Saturday en route to a 63-61 victory. The Wolfpack are averaging 39.8 points in the paint in its eight wins, but just 25.1 points in the paint in its seven losses.
The Wolfpack also had senior centers Ben Middlebrooks and Brandon Huntley-Hatfield miss a game due to illness or injury. Middlebrooks didn't play in the 70-67 loss at Virginia on Dec. 31, and Huntley-Hatfield didn't play against North Carolina in the 63-61 loss Saturday.
NC State (9-7, 2-3 ACC) plays at Virginia Tech at 7 p.m. Wednesday on ESPNU. The Hokies are 7-9 overall and 2-3 in the league.
NCSU coach Kevin Keatts isn't sure if Huntley-Hatfield will be available for Wednesday. He injured his shoulder against Notre Dame.
"Our offense tends to flow a little bit better when we play, play the game inside out," Keatts said. "That's not necessarily always throwing the ball in. Sometimes that's driving the ball, and drive and kicks."
NC State has been searching for consistency, but the defensive blueprint was provided in the North Carolina loss.
"I do like where we are," Keatts said. "I think we're starting to put it together a little bit more defensively than we are offensively, but, in those four games — I'm talking about the four ACC games — those were all games that could have went either way. Right now, we are 2-2."
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