Bacot breaks records as UNC defeats NC State 80-69; Wolfpack’s Terquavion Smith suffers injury

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WNCN/AP) — A North Carolina State University basketball player was unable to complete the Saturday afternoon game against UNC-Chapel Hill after an injury.

The Tar Heels won the game 80-69 after the teams were only a point apart at halftime.

UPDATE: NC State’s Smith OK, his mom says after UNC game injury; son asked ‘What’s the score?’ when she boarded ambulance

N.C. State guard Terquavion Smith was injured in the game and did not return after his injury in the second half.

Smith was fouled by UNC forward Leaky Black as he drove to the basket during the second half.

Smith attacked the rim and tried to finish a left-handed runner but fell backwards and landed hard on the floor. 

A stretcher was brought out to remove Smith, whose arm was in an inflatable cast as he was taken off the court with 9:45 remaining in the second half. 

UPDATE: NC State’s Smith OK, his mom says after UNC game injury; son asked ‘What’s the score?’ when she boarded ambulance

N.C. State basketball officials later said Smith suffered an elbow and neck injury.

Just after the injury, the entire N.C. State team was huddled around Smith and they had their arms around each other as the medics worked to move him.

After the game, UNC Head Coach Hubert Davis said Leaky Black had already asked for Smith’s phone number to check on him and make sure he is okay.

UPDATE: NC State’s Smith OK, his mom says after UNC game injury; son asked ‘What’s the score?’ when she boarded ambulance

During the game, UNC’s Armando Bacot surpassed Tyler Hansbrough as the Tar Heels all-time leading rebounder. He now has 1,220 career rebounds (and counting).

Bacot also recorded his 61st career double-double and became UNC’s all-time leader in career double-doubles surpassing Billy Cunningham (60).

There were four lead changes early in the second half before UNC built a 10-point lead on the strength of a 14-5 run. With Bacot scoring 16 points and grabbing nine rebounds in the second half, the Tar Heels maintained a lead of at least seven points through the final nine minutes after Smith’s injury.

UNC’s last field goal came on a Caleb Love jumper for a 74-65 lead with 1:47 remaining. Love, with four free throws, and Davis, with two, closed it out at the line.

Love finished with 16 points and made 9 of 10 free throws. Davis was 14-for-14 from the line and Bacot made all seven of his tries. The Tar Heels made only 20 field goals but were 36-for-39 from the line. A free throw by Jalen Washington was UNC’s only bench point.

D.J. Burns and Jarkel Joiner scored 18 points each for NC State and Smith and Casey Morsell scored 12 each. The Wolfpack were outrebounded 42-27, grabbing only nine more boards than Bacot.

UPDATE: NC State’s Smith OK, his mom says after UNC game injury; son asked ‘What’s the score?’ when she boarded ambulance

In the first half, a 3-pointer by Smith started a 13-0 run and a 3-pointer by Morsell capped it off, giving N.C. State an 18-10 lead with 10:02 remaining.

Davis drained two 3-pointers and went 4-for-4 from the line in a 12-2 run that gave the Tar Heels a 24-20 lead. Davis had 16 points, with two 3-pointers and was 8-for-8 from the line in the first half and North Carolina led 34-33 at the break.

The Tar Heels (14-6, 6-3), who have won three in a row and nine of the past 11, improved to 10-0 at home this season, including 5-0 in ACC play.

The loss snapped North Carolina State’s four-game winning streak.

The Associated Press contributed to this report