How NC State basketball turned the tables to humble UNC with a resounding win
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- N.C. State stunned No. 16 UNC, 82-58, largest Wolfpack win vs Carolina since 1962.
- Win gave Wolfpack a fourth Quad 1 victory and boosted their NCAA resume.
- Ven-Allen Lubin was one of five players in double figures and stressed unity.
Ven-Allen Lubin sat on the podium during the postgame press conference, a bedazzled “N.C. State” belt draped over his shoulders, a gift from the university’s textile program.
It was a not-so-subtle nod to North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson. The freshman forward, who did not play due to injury, showed off a similar belt in UNC colors prior to the season. He claimed in September the Tar Heels would “put belt on everybody.”
While the accessory made an appearance following Carolina’s comeback win over Duke on Feb. 7, it was nowhere to be seen on Tuesday after N.C. State upset No. 16 UNC, 82-58, in the lone regular season matchup between the two programs. It was the largest Wolfpack win over the Tar Heels since 1962.
“They were talking a lot,” said Quadir Copeland, referring to the trash talk. “‘North Carolina schools this, North Carolina school is that.’ It’s crazy how fast them tables turn.”
N.C. State entered the game after losing two straight games. They fell to Louisville on the road by 41 points last Monday and blew a late lead against Miami on Saturday, falling to the Hurricanes by one.
The team hadn’t lost three in a row all season, and it really didn’t want to start now — especially not with ACC seeding and NCAA Tournament implications hinging on every result.
N.C. State sits at 19-8 overall and 10-4 in league play with four regular season matchups remaining. It’s fighting for a double bye in the conference tournament and, after dropping one seed line in ESPN’s most-recent Bracketology update, it is looking to stay firmly in the March Madness field.
The win gives the Wolfpack a fourth Quad 1 victory and its second win over an AP Top 25 team. N.C. State was 1-4 against ranked teams entering Tuesday’s contest.
“We just needed to find a way to win,” N.C. State head coach Will Wade said. “I do think it helped that it was North Carolina. I’m glad it was North Carolina and not — I won’t say another team — somebody that our guys wouldn’t be maybe as excited to play. I do think that helped us.”
‘We’ll get it for you’
The N.C. State-Carolina rivalry means a lot to the players, program and fans of both teams. Just ask Jordan Snell and Ven-Allen Lubin.
Snell, senior captain and fourth-year walk-on, played two minutes, went 0 for 2 from the field and picked up a technical foul — something the players laughed about — but his biggest contribution was the passion he brought to the bench.
Wade said the guard helped educate his teammates on the importance of the series, saying he had to walk Snell back just a hair.
“You could tell how important it was to him. I was sitting there thinking, ‘The season is not over if we lose tomorrow, you know,’” Wade said. “But Snell is like, ‘We’re gonna just pack our bags and go home if we can’t win.’”
While it might’ve felt excessive — Snell said the Pack felt disrespected last season after its loss in Chapel Hill — Wade likes to see that level of excitement and pride. With roster turnover the way it is, those players are necessary to keep rivalries special.
N.C. State also wanted to play, and win, for Lubin. The UNC transfer planned to return to the Tar Heels, but with the addition of Wilson and Henri Veesaar — and to a lesser extent Jarin Stevenson — his role was expected to dwindle. Tuesday was an opportunity to show what he can do and the consistent, more well-rounded player he has become.
In a twist of irony, Wilson and Veesaar, around whom Carolina built its frontcourt, could not play. It relied instead on Zayden High, who came off the bench behind Lubin last season.
“I told him today, I said, ‘Man, we got your back. We’ll get it for you,’” Wade said. “It meant a lot to him. He’s not one that’s going to outwardly show it too much, but I know (the game) had a little extra in it. I was proud of being able to channel his emotions and play well.”
Lubin was one of five N.C. State players in double figures. He scored 12 points on 5 of 6 shooting and added six rebounds, two assists and one steal.
He had every opportunity to talk himself up, especially considering the circumstances, but he still kept things focused on the Wolfpack as a group.
“It means a lot, just knowing that my guys have had my back since day one,” Lubin said. “They know how important this game is to me, and know that I want to come out and play my hardest and play together like we did today. It just means a lot that we came out with a win like this.”
While this game provided a boost to morale and the tournament resume, there’s still roughly a month to go before Selection Sunday. Plenty can change between now and then. N.C. State is still trying to take things game-by-game and add more statement victories.
Until then, the Wolfpack will use the sparkly belt as a reminder of what it can do; which teams it can beat.
And, if it’s up to Copeland, maybe they’ll take it to Franklin Street.
This story was originally published February 18, 2026 at 6:30 AM with the headline "How NC State basketball turned the tables to humble UNC with a resounding win."
