Story byAlexander Turri, Clemson WireWed, January 21, 2026 at 2:46 AM UTC·1 min readFor Clemson, Tuesday night became less about streaks and more about a familiar figure on the opposite sideline. Will Wade, once a student manager and young assistant in Littlejohn Coliseum, returned as NC State’s head coach and walked away with an 80-76 overtime win that halted Clemson’s nine-game surge and brought the Tigers their first home loss in nearly a year. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Wolfpack leaned on Ven-Allen Lubin, who scored 22 points, while Clemson struggled to turn pressure moments into separation. Despite multiple chances late, the Tigers never found the decisive run. Clemson finally pulled even late in regulation when Carter Welling converted at the line, then briefly moved in front after R. J. Godfrey finished through contact with just over a minute remaining.