Joiner, Burns combine for 50, NC State tops Wake Forest

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Jarkel Joiner scored 29 points, D.J. Burns Jr. added 21 and North Carolina State beat Wake Forest 90-74 on Wednesday night.

N.C. State led by just eight points with seven minutes remaining until Joiner and Burns combined to score 12 straight Wolfpack points to extend the lead to 82-67 with 4:11 left. The lead stayed in double figures the rest of the way.

N.C. State (22-7, 12-6 ACC) reached 22 regular-season wins for the first time since the 1987-88 team entered the ACC Tournament with a 23-6 record.

Terquavion Smith scored 13 points and Casey Morsell added 10 for N.C. State, which has won seven of its last nine games. Joiner was 12 of 20 from the field and Burns 8 of 11 as the Wolfpack shot 58% from the field. Joiner has totaled 58 points in the last two games, reaching 20-plus points 10 times this season.

Joiner scored 18 points in the first half and Burns added 13 points to help N.C. State take a 52-46 lead. N.C. State's 68% shooting was its best percentage in any half this season. Wake Forest made 12 of its first 13 shots and finished the half at 65%.

Tyree Appleby scored 19 points, and Cameron Hildreth and Andrew Carr each had 13 points for Wake Forest (17-11, 9-8).

DID NOT RETURN

N.C. State guard Jack Clark fell awkwardly on a fast-break dunk with 18:49 left in the second half. He appeared to slip while trying to hang onto the rim in traffic and landed on his shoulder with his head hitting the floor. Clark was able to walk off the court under his own power, but he was on the bench in the second half with his left arm in a sling.

Wake Forest guard Damari Monsanto went to the floor favoring his left leg in the closing seconds of the first half. Monsanto stayed on the ground for a few minutes before being helped off the floor.

UP NEXT

Wake Forest returns home to face Notre Dame on Saturday.

N.C. State concludes its three-game homestand against Clemson on Saturday.

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