NC State routs Lenoir-Rhyne 130-66 in exhibition

NC State opened the Justin Gainey era at Lenovo Center with a 130-66 exhibition rout of Division II Lenoir-Rhyne, building a commanding lead early and eventually going up by as many as 67 points. The Wolfpack shot about 67% from the field, made 14 three-pointers and had five players score at least 14 points; Paul McNeil and Ven-Allen Lubin topped 20, while Darius Adams and Preston Edmead combined for 15 assists. Gainey used the lopsided game to test more than a dozen lineups and assess potential rotation combinations ahead of the regular season. Despite the win, NC State gave up 18 offensive rebounds, more than it collected, offering one area to address; Lenoir-Rhyne’s coach called the defeat the worst beating he had experienced.