Freshman Yigitoglu's 20 points help SMU hold off a late NC State rally for a 63-57 win

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Samet Yigitoglu scored 20 points and his two free throws with 18 seconds left finished off SMU's 63-57 win over North Carolina State in the first meeting between the schools as Atlantic Coast Conference rivals on Saturday.

The Mustangs (15-5, 6-3) earned their fourth win in their last five games. The Wolfpack (9-10, 2-6) lost their fourth straight and sixth in their last seven outings.

The Mustangs held a 34-26 lead at the break and the 7-foot-2 freshman from Istanbul opened the second half by scoring their first eight points to push the advantage to 13 points, 42-29. After hitting 5 of 9 shots from beyond the arc in the first half the Mustangs missed their first six shots from distance in the second half.

The Wolfpack rallied from a 15-point second-half deficit to trail 54-51 after a Marcus Hill jumper with under six minutes to play. Ben Middlebrooks took a rebound away from Yigitoglu in the paint and was fouled, then hit both free throws with 3:21 to play to make it a one-point game, 56-55. B.J. Edwards answered with SMU's lone second-half 3 and Yigitoglu hit four straight free throws in the final two minutes to seal the victory.

The freshman was 8 of 13 from the floor and had seven rebounds to lead SMU. Kario Oquendo was 4 of 8 from the floor and 4-for-4 from the line to add 13 points and Matt Cross contributed 11 points and 10 boards.

Hill finished with 14 points to lead NC State. Dontrez Styles added 12 points and Jayden Taylor contributed 11 points and three steals.

NC State plays at No. 2 Duke on Monday. SMU plays host to Cal on Wednesday.

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The Associated Press