RALEIGH — N.C. State’s basketball team received an early-season wake-up call Saturday night at the Entertainment and Sports Arena.

If the Wolfpack truly wants consideration for an NCAA tournament bid next March, it will have to win games like the one it lost to UNC-Charlotte.

“I can’t point out what areas they beat us in because they beat us in every area,” forward Damien Wilkins said after State (1-1) suffered a 95-78 loss in the CoSIDA Classic championship game. “Rebounding, shooting, transition, you name it. They outplayed us.”

Charlotte (2-0) didn’t just beat the Pack — it beat it like a rented mule. The 49’ers made 48 percent of their field goal attempts, placed four scorers in double figures and outrebounded State 49-37.

“It was a great win for us and our basketball program,” said Charlotte forward Rodney White, the tournament MVP. “I think we showed a lot of people what we’re capable of.”

They were capable of exploiting State’s horrendous transition defense, which led to many fast-break layups and uncontested pull-up jumpers. “We did a lot of ball screens,” said White, the 49’ers top gold rusher with 21 points and eight rebounds. “That usually gets shooters open and leads to a lot of easy inside baskets.”

Charlotte took control of the game late in the first half. Demon Brown’s three-pointer from the top of the key tied the score at 37 with 3:01 on the clock and his bomb from the parking lot 20 seconds later gave the guests a lead they’d never relinquish.

“They did a great job running the court tonight,” said State’s Anthony Grundy, the game’s high-scorer with 24 points. “It’s like they were shot out of a cannon. All we were doing was running up and down the floor.”

Charlotte led by as much as 94-70 when Cam Stephens slammed down an earthquake dunk with 2:46 to play.

“That’s what I like about this team,” said 49’ers coach Bobby Lutz. “On different nights it’s going to be different guys, different lineups, that get it done. We have to have a team mentality and if we do, they have to trust me to punch the right buttons.”

State coach Herb Sendek felt that Charlotte simply wore the Wolfpack down. “They played awfully hard and have great depth,” he said. “There are no first-year players on that team. They’re all men.”

The loss left many of the State faithful searching for an explanation. Wilkins called it “a little shocking” and added, “It’s never too early for a wake-up call. Better now than later. We can’t keep playing like we played tonight and hope the NCAA likes what they see.”

NOTES: Joining White on the all-tournament team were Charlotte’s Brown and Stephens, and State’s Grundy and Kenny Inge. ... West Rowan grad Scooter Sherrill played 19 minutes for State. He made one of his two shots, grabbed three rebounds and had two assists. ... The teams last met on Dec. 2, 1983, when State earned a 79-60 win. Charlotte hadn’t beaten State since the 1976 NIT semifinals. ...The Pack returns to action Wednesday night against Fresno State in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off in Springfield, Mass. UNC-Charlotte visits St. Bonaventure next Saturday.