CHICAGO (AP) — D.J. Burns Jr. finished with 18 points and nine rebounds to help North Carolina State hold off Vanderbilt 70-66 at the Legends of Basketball Showcase on Saturday night.
Burns sank 6 of 9 shots and all six of his free throws for the Wolfpack (10-3). Terquavion Smith added 16 points, five assists and three steals. Casey Morsell had 15 points and Jarkel Joiner scored 12.
Myles Stute had 11 points by halftime to help the Commodores (5-6) take a 38-34 lead. Smith had 14 points for the Wolfpack, making six of the Wolfpack’s 13 first-half baskets.
Tyrin Lawrence hit a jumper to give Vanderbilt a 46-38 lead in the second half, but Morsell answered with two 3-pointers and a basket in a 13-0 spurt to put the Wolfpack on top 51-46 with 12:40 left to play.
The Commodores pushed back, using Quentin Millora-Brown’s rebound bucket to grab a 56-55 lead with 8:12 remaining. NC State answered with Jack Clark’s 3-pointer and maintained a lead until Ezra Manjon followed his three-point play with a bucket to give Vanderbilt a 64-63 lead with 1:59 left.
The Wolfpack regained the lead 67-64 on two free throws by Burns and a layup by Morsell with 48 seconds to go. Joiner hit both ends of a one-and-one with 17 seconds left to give NC State a two-possession lead.
Stute led Vanderbilt with 16 points. Manjon and Lawrence both scored 12. Liam Robbins had 10 points.
Kevin Keatts, in his sixth season as NC State coach, picked up his 100th win with the Wolfpack.
NC State’s victory knots the all-time series at 3-3.
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