CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Malik Thomas scored 16 points, Thijs De Ridder added 15 points and No. 2-seed Virginia defeated No. 7-seed NC State 81-74 on Thursday in the 2026 T. Rowe Price ACC Men's Basketball Tournament quarterfinals. 

Jacari White added 13 points as the 10th-ranked Cavaliers (28-5) shot 54.8 percent from the field in the second half and made 6-of-13 3-point attempts to pull away. 

Paul McNeil Jr. had 26 points and Van-Allen Lubin added 14 for the Wolfpack (20-13). 

NC State had lost by 15 points at home and 29 points on the road earlier this season to Virginia and never led either game. Wolfpack coach Will Wade said before the game that his team has “been outclassed” by the Cavaliers. 

But NC State stormed to a 22-16 lead behind eight early points from Lubin as Wade seemed content to pound the ball inside. 

The Cavaliers would battle back to take a 33-32 lead after De Ridder knocked down a corner 3 just before halftime and began to pull away in the third quarter when Dallin Hall drilled a 3 for a double-digit lead. 

NC State would cut the lead to four with 26.8 seconds left on a 3 by McNeil and then forced a turnover under their own basket on the ensuing rebound. But they missed two short-range shots, and Virginia sealed the game with some late free throws. 

Of Note 

• Virginia advances to the semifinals of the ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament for the 28th time. In the previous 27 appearances, the Cavaliers are 10-17. 

• The Hoos improved to 48-67 all-time in the ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament; NC State moves to 80-60 all-time in ACC Tournament history. 

• Virginia picks up its fourth-ever win against NC State in ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament history, improving to 4-15 all-time in the tournament against the Wolfpack.  

• The Wolfpack fell to 12-13 all-time in ACC Tournament games played in Charlotte.  

• Virginia’s Ugonna Onyenso logged eight blocks in the contest, tied for the second-most in an ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament Game with Clemson’s Sharone Wright in 1992 and North Carolina’s Walker Kessler in 2021. 

• The Hoos knocked down 12 3-pointers on Thursday afternoon, led by four by Sam Lewis.  

• Virginia outscored NC State 15-0 on fast break points and 30-16 in points in the paint.  

• NC State’s Ven-Allen Lubin finished with a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double.