WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Freshman C.J. Leslie had 19 points in his first game back from a suspension and North Carolina State routed Wake Forest 80-55 on Sunday.
Tracy Smith scored 20 points to lead the Wolfpack (13-11, 3-7 Atlantic Coast Conference) to their first win of the season on an opponent's regular home court. They never trailed and snapped a four-game losing streak with a convincing win in a matchup of the ACC's two worst teams.
Freshman Travis McKie had 15 points for the last-place Demon Deacons (8-17, 1-9). They turned it over 15 times — their fourth straight game with at least that many — and have lost four straight and 14 of 16.
Leslie was 7 of 13 from the field for the Wolfpack, who were coming off a disheartening 24-point loss to No. 5 Duke eight days earlier — a game Leslie missed while he served his suspension for violating an unspecified team rule.
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