The basketball team won four of its six games over winter break and improved to 9-3 overall entering ACC play Saturday at Clemson.N.C. State avenged a loss from last season by beating East Carolina 87-76. The Wolfpack was helped by a 24 point, 17 rebound effort from redshirt junior Brandon Costner.State picked up another home win against Lipscomb before dropping a heartbreaker to Marquette in the RBC Center. A three pointer with .6 seconds remaining lifted the Golden Eagles over State – the Pack’s first home loss of the season. State defeated Loyola 62-60 Dec. 29 before beating Towson 88 – 68 on New Year’s Eve. Sophomore Tracy Smith scored a career-high 31 points in the Pack’s final game of 2008 and State was riding a two-game winning streak when it visited the Swamp to take on Florida Jan. 3.Despite holding a significant lead in Gainesville, the Pack found itself down two points to the Gators with just three seconds remaining. After a missed free throw, Farnold Degand launched a desperation three but caught only iron and the Gators escaped with a 68-66 victory.State’s three losses this season have all been by a combined ten points, with the Pack’s only other loss being a 72-67 decision to Davidson in Charlotte Dec. 6.