Pittsburgh Panthers at NC State Wolfpack

Lamar Patterson helps Pitt win its ACC debut

Talib Zanna added 15 points for the Panthers (13-1, 1-0 ACC), who won their third straight overall in their first road game of the season. Pitt fell behind 17-2 and trailed by eight at halftime, but dominated the second half by shooting 63 percent to build a double-digit lead that silenced the hostile crowd.

Most of that production came in the paint, where Pitt kept getting good looks around the rim to wrestle back control from the Wolfpack (10-4, 0-1). The Panthers finished with 26 of their 34 points in the paint after halftime.

Patterson shot 8-for-16 from the field and hit two 3-pointers, including one to beat the shot clock over Desmond Lee for a 66-53 lead with 4:32 left.

The 6-foot-5 senior also had a strong overall floor game, finishing with eight rebounds, six assists and two steals in 35 minutes.

Michael Young added a career-high 13 points for Pittsburgh, which shot just 9-for-27 (33 percent) in that miserable first half on the way to a 34-26 halftime deficit. But Pitt opened the second half with a 24-8 burst, ending when Patterson scored on a hanging basket while drawing the foul for a three-point play that made it 50-42 with 13:19 left.

N.C. State never could get back control of the game in what turned into a reversal from the first 20 minutes. The Wolfpack shot 8-for-27 (30 percent) after halftime as Pitt pushed ahead by as many as 16 late.

T.J. Warren scored 23 points to lead N.C. State, while Ralston Turner had 11.

It marked the first time the Wolfpack lost an ACC opener under third-year coach Mark Gottfried.

How can I watch Pittsburgh vs. NC State?

• TV Channel: Pittsburgh at NC State 2021 College Basketball, week 9, is broadcasted on ESPN3.
• Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo Free trial.
  Try Vidgo for free.