NC State Defeats Pitt in ACC Tournament Thriller

Wolfpack's balanced scoring attack too much for Panthers

Published on Mar. 12, 2026

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In a high-scoring second-round matchup of the ACC Tournament, NC State defeated Pitt 98-88 behind a dominant performance from Quadir Copeland, who collected 24 points and 8 assists. The Wolfpack shot an impressive 60.8% from the field and made 13 3-pointers, with five players scoring in double figures. Pitt was led by Cameron Corhen's 27 points, but their 57.1% shooting wasn't enough to overcome NC State's offensive onslaught.

Why it matters

This win keeps NC State's ACC Tournament hopes alive as they advance to face second-seeded Virginia in the quarterfinals. For Pitt, the loss ends their tournament run after they pulled off an upset over Stanford in the opening round.

The details

NC State jumped out to a 22-8 lead to start the second half, creating a 73-58 advantage that Pitt was unable to fully overcome despite an 11-3 run to close the gap. The Wolfpack had five players score in double figures, led by Copeland's 24 points and 8 assists. Pitt got strong performances from Corhen (27 points), Indrusaitis (19 points) and Witherspoon (19 points), but their 57.1% shooting wasn't enough to match NC State's 60.8% clip.

  • The game was played on Wednesday afternoon in the second round of the ACC Tournament.
  • NC State and Pitt combined to make 16 of 25 3-pointers in the first half.

The players

Quadir Copeland

NC State guard who led the Wolfpack with 24 points and 8 assists.

Cameron Corhen

Pitt forward who scored a game-high 27 points on 9-of-12 shooting.

NC State

The seventh-seeded Wolfpack, who won for only the second time in their last eight games.

Pitt

The 15th-seeded Panthers, who had won four of their previous six games before this loss.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

What’s next

NC State will face No. 10-ranked and second-seeded Virginia in Thursday's first quarterfinal of the ACC Tournament.

The takeaway

NC State's balanced scoring attack and hot shooting proved too much for Pitt to overcome, setting up an intriguing quarterfinal matchup with Virginia as the Wolfpack look to continue their tournament run.