RALEIGH, N.C. — In an impressive season opener, both Marcus Hill and Breon Pass contributed 14 points each as North Carolina State decisively defeated South Carolina Upstate with a score of 97-66 on Monday evening.

Brandon Huntley-Hatfield added 13 points to the Wolfpack’s tally, while Ben Middlebrooks recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

NC State established a solid lead of 50-35 at the halftime break and quickly elevated their advantage to over 20 points within the first four minutes of the second half. The Wolfpack maintained at least a 20-point cushion for most of the game, demonstrating their control on the court.

The lead swelled to 30 points when Middlebrooks connected on a layup around the five-minute mark, and it peaked at 33 following Bryce Heard’s back-to-back free throws in the closing minute.

In the first half, NC State netted 50 points, with an impressive 37 of those occurring in the last 12 minutes. A diverse scoring effort featured nine players contributing, yet none surpassed the double-digit point mark.

On the other side, freshman Mister Dean led the Spartans with 14 points, supported by Karmani Gregory who added 13, and Nic Book who chipped in with 10 points.

This game also marked the first appearance for Marty Richter as the head coach of South Carolina Upstate.

With the ambitions of building on last season’s achievements, which saw them clinch the ACC Tournament title and reach the Final Four in the NCAA Tournament, NC State is poised for another successful season. Notably, NC State has previously been one of six ACC teams to secure a national championship and triumphed over the other five conference members—Louisville, Syracuse, Duke, Virginia, and North Carolina—to claim the ACC Tournament title.