PITTSBURGH — DJ Barnes Jr. scored 24 points, including a go-ahead goal in overtime that sparked a 9-0 run, as 11th-seeded North Carolina State advanced in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Wednesday. They defeated 14th seed Oakland State 79-73. Saturday night.
Armed with a versatile 6-foot-9, 275-pound forward, the Wolfpack (24-14) finally pulled away from 3-point shooting specialist Jack Goelke and the Golden Grizzlies (24-14). They advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2015. -12) During the extension period.
North Carolina State will play either No. 2 seed Marquette or No. 10 seed Colorado State in Dallas on Friday in the Southern Regional semifinals.
Michael O’Connell had 12 points for the Wolfpack.
DJ Horn and Casey Morsell each added 11.
In overtime, Jayden Taylor came off the bench and hit a 3-pointer to give North Carolina State a five-point lead.
Oakland defeated No. 3 seed Kentucky on Thursday, but fell just short of becoming the first No. 14 seed to reach the Sweet 16 since Chattanooga in 1997.
Horizon League Player of the Year Trey Townsend had 30 points and 13 rebounds for the Golden Grizzlies. Goelke, who made 10 3-pointers against Kentucky, hit six more 3-pointers and finished with 22 points.
Oakland’s chances disappeared in the final minutes as the Grizzlies missed 10 of their final 11 shots, leaving coach Greg Kampe with just 699 wins until next season, his 41st year on the job. .
North Carolina State, which was outside the tournament bubble until winning the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament title last week, will continue to play.
Although the Wolfpack led for most of the game, they could not completely shake off the Horizon League champions, who claimed they could advance further following their first round victory.
With 2:49 left in regulation time, Townsend put Oakland ahead for the first time with a 3-point play, setting up a tense finish that drew most of the Golden Grizzlies’ fans in a packed PPG Paints Arena.
The group included Oakland President Ola Hirsch Peskowitz, who watched from the front row while holding a prop, a Cinderella-style glass slipper.
It didn’t really fit.
Oakland had a last-minute shot chance, but it was reversed with 1.3 seconds left.
Morsell’s heave from beyond half court hit the backboard and the front of the rim before going away.
Goelke had a star performance Thursday night against Kentucky. But Barnes has also become a fan favorite of late, thanks to his under-the-basket game, which relies on footwork and a soft left-handed touch around the basket.
Barnes’ star power peaked last week as the Wolfpack won the ACC Tournament title, helping North Carolina State rip off five wins in five days to earn an automatic March Madness berth and coach Kevin Keatts. He was named MVP after taking the heat under.
North Carolina State easily defeated No. 6 seed Texas Tech in the first round and appeared to be playing comfortably with the favorites, a rarity in the postseason.
The Wolfpack never trailed in the first half, using their size advantage to dominate in the paint.
Still, Goelke and the Golden Grizzlies were hanging out.
The former Division II standout appeared on national television 48 hours after dominating the Wildcats, hitting a full-court shot in practice that hit the product in the face, missed his first 3-point shot, then Oakland, who added two more points to keep it, was within striking distance, trailing just 32-29 at the break.
