Preview: Texas Southern at North Carolina State

RALEIGH, N.C. (Interstat) — The North Carolina State Wolfpack look to rebound from a heartbreaking overtime loss when they host the struggling Texas Southern Tigers in a nonconference men’s basketball game Wednesday night at Lenovo Center.

The Wolfpack (7-4) fell 77-76 to then-Kansas on Saturday, a game in which they led by nine points with under five minutes remaining in regulation. Guard Quadir Copeland was instrumental in the near-upset, playing 39 minutes and scoring 19 points with six assists. Copeland has been a dynamic force for N.C. State, averaging 18.2 points and 5.5 assists over his last six games, including a 28-point performance at Texas.

“We played winning basketball for about 37 minutes against a top-five team,” Wolfpack coach Kevin Keatts said. “Now the key is to learn from the finish, build on the positives and maintain that intensity.”

Texas Southern (1-7) arrives after a challenging early schedule, with all seven losses coming on the road against high-major opponents or strong mid-majors. The Tigers are coming off an 89-53 loss at Minnesota on Sunday. Guard Alex Anderson, who scored 11 points in that game, is a player to watch. He has shown flashes of scoring ability, including a 12-point outing at Vanderbilt.

The Tigers’ lone win was a 102-44 rout of Biblical Stud. on Nov. 26. They have struggled defensively, allowing an average of 89.1 points in their seven losses.

For N.C. State, this game serves as a final tune-up before Atlantic Coast Conference play begins next week. The Wolfpack have been strong at home, winning by an average of 33.3 points in their four games in Raleigh this season.

Texas Southern coach Johnny Jones is familiar with the ACC from his time at LSU, but his young team faces a tall task trying to contain Copeland and a Wolfpack offense averaging 82.5 points per game.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST. The Wolfpack host Mississippi in Greensboro on Saturday, while Texas Southern travels to Abilene Christian next Monday.