RALEIGH, N.C. -- Dennis Smith Jr. and North Carolina State certainly proved they know how to respond to a loss. Coach Mark Gottfried hopes to see his Wolfpack keep that lesson with them, too.
Smith had 27 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds for the second triple-double in program history, and N.C. State rode a dominant first-half performance to a 104-78 victory over No. 21 Virginia Tech on Wednesday night.
The Wolfpack (12-3, 1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) quickly put on a pedal-to-the-floor show of hot shooting and sharp execution through those first 20 minutes. N.C. State shot nearly 70 percent (23 of 33) and led 55-30 by halftime on the way to the school's first 100-point outing since 2004.