RALEIGH, N.C. – Maybe NC State can be a factor in the Atlantic Coast Conference, even without its top-scoring guard.

Because Wednesday night at Reynolds Coliseum, with Dereck Whittenburg still sidelined with a broken foot, the Wolfpack’s backcourt of freshman Ernie Myers, senior Sidney Lowe and sophomore Terry Gannon combined to score 65 of the Pack’s points in a 90-83 win over Clemson.

Myers, the scoring sensation from the Bronx, N.Y., burned the Tigers for 27 points, while Lowe matched his career high with 21 points and added 13 assists. Gannon came off the bench to score 17 points, thanks primarily to his 5-for-8 shooting from beyond the 3-point line.

The Wolfpack, leading 51-33 at intermission, hardly noticed that senior forward Thurl Bailey was held scoreless in the first half and rolled to its fourth consecutive victory. Perhaps more importantly, Jim Valvano’s team (13-7 overall, 5-4 ACC) is now over-.500 in the nation’s toughest basketball conference.

“That was unbelievable,” said Clemson coach Bill Foster. “We defensed the big guy really well. But we couldn’t stop Ernie Myers.”