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Paul McNeil Jr. set an N.C. State basketball record and matched an ACC record with 11 3-pointers in the Wolfpack’s 108-72 rout of Texas Southern on Dec. 17 at Reynolds Coliseum.
McNeil, a Rockingham native, had a net-shredding performance with 47 points in N.C. State’s annual “Heritage Game,” which is played each year inside Jim Valvano Arena. It turned into “Paul McNeil Game” as McNeil made 11 of 17 shots from 3-point range in 26 minutes. It matches the mark set by Wake Forest's Craig Dawson (2002) and Georgia Tech's Dennis Scott (1988).
McNeil, a sophomore guard, also made all 12 of his free throws and grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds for a career-best in that category.
UNDERRATED?: Who is NC State basketball’s most underrated player? Will Wade, Wolfpack leaders answer
INSPIRATION: Why NC State basketball's Paul McNeil wears No. 2 and what he brings to Wolfpack
McNeil told the ACC Network Extra crew during a postgame interview that he felt like the game was going to be special after his "first shot" on Kay Yow Court.
"The preparation was great and I was locked in," McNeil said. "When it dropped, it dropped, so that's all I can say."
McNeil scored 26 of his points, including seven 3-pointers, in the first half. The 47 points are the most for an N.C. State or ACC player since Rodney Monroe dropped 48 points against Georgia Tech in 1991. McNeil is tied for fifth on the Pack's all-time list, which is headlined by David Thompson’s 57 points against Buffalo State in 1974.
Monroe had the previous high for 3-pointers in a game, hitting nine treys against UNC Asheville in 1989. That record stood for 36 years before McNeil broke new ground at Reynolds. He hit his first five attempts from 3-point range in the first half and made four straight during a stretch in the second half.
After making 11 3-pointers across the previous eight games, McNeil had 11 treys against the Tigers. But he didn't know a program record was in play until the end of the game.
"I was just playing," McNeil said with a smile. ". ... It was fun. That's all I could ask for."
It was the most points McNeil has scored at the college level, but he had a 71-point game at Richmond Senior High School in 2024 to surpass a 74-year-old record in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association.
Rodd Baxley covers North Carolina Tar Heels athletics for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding UNC? Send them to [email protected].
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Paul McNeil sets NC State basketball record, ties ACC record
Continue reading...
McNeil, a Rockingham native, had a net-shredding performance with 47 points in N.C. State’s annual “Heritage Game,” which is played each year inside Jim Valvano Arena. It turned into “Paul McNeil Game” as McNeil made 11 of 17 shots from 3-point range in 26 minutes. It matches the mark set by Wake Forest's Craig Dawson (2002) and Georgia Tech's Dennis Scott (1988).
McNeil, a sophomore guard, also made all 12 of his free throws and grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds for a career-best in that category.
UNDERRATED?: Who is NC State basketball’s most underrated player? Will Wade, Wolfpack leaders answer
INSPIRATION: Why NC State basketball's Paul McNeil wears No. 2 and what he brings to Wolfpack
McNeil told the ACC Network Extra crew during a postgame interview that he felt like the game was going to be special after his "first shot" on Kay Yow Court.
"The preparation was great and I was locked in," McNeil said. "When it dropped, it dropped, so that's all I can say."
McNeil scored 26 of his points, including seven 3-pointers, in the first half. The 47 points are the most for an N.C. State or ACC player since Rodney Monroe dropped 48 points against Georgia Tech in 1991. McNeil is tied for fifth on the Pack's all-time list, which is headlined by David Thompson’s 57 points against Buffalo State in 1974.
Monroe had the previous high for 3-pointers in a game, hitting nine treys against UNC Asheville in 1989. That record stood for 36 years before McNeil broke new ground at Reynolds. He hit his first five attempts from 3-point range in the first half and made four straight during a stretch in the second half.
After making 11 3-pointers across the previous eight games, McNeil had 11 treys against the Tigers. But he didn't know a program record was in play until the end of the game.
"I was just playing," McNeil said with a smile. ". ... It was fun. That's all I could ask for."
It was the most points McNeil has scored at the college level, but he had a 71-point game at Richmond Senior High School in 2024 to surpass a 74-year-old record in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association.
Rodd Baxley covers North Carolina Tar Heels athletics for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding UNC? Send them to [email protected].
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Paul McNeil sets NC State basketball record, ties ACC record
Continue reading...
