N.C. State will always have Wake Forest.

The ACC will regularly take a game against North Carolina away from the Wolfpack when the league expands to 14 teams, but State and Wake will continue to play twice a season.

Since 2006, that has been a good thing for State. The Pack beat the Demon Deacons 87-76 on Saturday for the fifth straight time and the ninth time in the past 12 games.

Scott Wood's 23 points lifted the Pack in a closer call than the earlier meeting this season, a 76-40 wipeout in Winston-Salem, and the two lopsided State wins from last season (by 25 and 21 points).

C.J. Leslie and C.J. Williams each added 18 points for the Wolfpack, who improved to 17-7 and 6-3 in the ACC. Lorenzo Brown finished with 15 points and eight assists.

"We're getting there," Wood said. "We're working hard and trying to get better."

Wake (11-12) fell to 2-7 in the ACC and lost its fourth straight game, despite getting double-figure scoring from five players.

Guard C.J. Harris led the Deacs with 21 points, and several times it looked like State would pull away, but the Deacs played with a resiliency that went missing in the previous three meetings with the Wolfpack.

A strong shooting effort (29 of 58) helped Wake stay in the game, especially from 3-point range (10 of 17).

"They made shots, we made shots, they made more shots," said Wake coach Jeff Bzdelik, who fell to 1-12 in ACC road games.

Nobody shot better from outside than Wood.

He made six 3-pointers, including one on a key four-point play at 10:04 in the second half.

Wake had tied the game at 50 about 3 minutes earlier, but Wood's dagger gave State a 63-52 advantage.

It was the fourth time in Wood's career he hit at least six 3s, but it was the first of this season and his first at the RBC Center. Wood has made at least five 3s in four home games this season, but two were at Reynolds Coliseum.

Wood didn't need to know his shooting history to know his shooting preference.

"I don't like playing here, I'd rather play on the road," Wood said. "Anytime you have fans talking trash, it raises your game."

The Pack actually had a seven-point possession, because of an intentional foul on Wake's Daniel Green, in the first in building a 42-33 at the break.

Leslie was fouled by Green on a dunk, he made the one free throw for the foul on the shot and the second free throw for the flagrant foul. On the inbounds play, Williams hit a 3-pointer.

The Deacs used a 14-4 run, with two 3-pointers by Chase Fischer, to take a 29-22 lead at 6:28 in the first half.

Then Wood ignited a 20-4 run to close the half with three straight 3s.

"It's nice to see him get in that groove where everybody in the gym thinks that every shot he takes is going in," State coach Mark Gottfried said. "That's where he was today."

Giglio: 919-829-8938