The team representing North Carolina State in the Final Four of the men’s NCAA Tournament will not be the Tar Heels or the Blue Devils.
North Carolina State University Wolfpack.
The Cinderella journey continued for the 11th-seeded North Carolina State team, defeating No. 4 Duke 76-64 on Sunday night and advancing to the Final Four in Arizona.
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No. 30 DJ of the North Carolina State Wolf Pack defends No. 15 Ryan Young of the Duke Blue Devils during the Elite 8 round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at American Airlines Center in Dallas on March 31, 2024. Barnes Jr. goes to the basket. Texas. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
The Wolfpack will play the top-seeded Purdue Boilermakers for a spot in the national championship game.
This is the first time North Carolina State has advanced to the Final Four since winning the national championship in 1983 under legendary coach Jim Valvano.
North Carolina State University trailed 27-21 at halftime, but outscored Duke 55-37 in the second half.
Zach Eadie’s 40 points help Purdue defeat Tennessee and advance to the Final Four
In the paint, Wolfpack big man DJ Barnes Jr. was all smiles as he played his way against the Blue Devils in the second half. Burns led NC State with a very efficient 13-of-19 performance, four rebounds, and three assists, scoring 29 points.
Guard DJ Horn also did his job in the second half, using his speed to penetrate the Blue Devils’ defense and scoring 20 points on 7-of-16 shooting from the field.
While the Wolfpack remained a force to be reckoned with in the second half, things started to get cold for the Blue Devils.
Barnes made a jumper with 12:22 left in the second half, tying the game at 38 points. But once Horn hit a jumper of his own with 11:49 left to take the lead, North Carolina State never relinquished the lead.
NC State went on a 15-4 run to take a 53-42 lead with 6:56 left in the game. The Dallas Wolfpack faithful were buzzing as they realized their team was in complete control of the game.
#0 of the North Carolina State Wolfpack as Jalen Blakes of the Duke Blue Devils defends during the Elite 8 round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at American Airlines Center on March 31, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. DJ Horn goes to the basket. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
With leading scorers Jared McCain, Jeremy Roach and Kyle Filipovski, who had 32 points, not scoring as much as they did earlier in the tournament and the scoreboard ticking down in the second half, Duke won every penny. I couldn’t. It didn’t help that Filipowski fouled out with less than five minutes left.
McCain and Roach were able to make some layups late, but Duke’s full-court press didn’t work and NC State scored back with easy buckets.
Duke shot just 32.2 percent from the field and 25 percent from the 3-point area, while North Carolina State shot 46.7 percent from the field, according to its stat sheet.
Filipovski made 3-of-12 shots from beyond the arc, including 0-of-3, and fouled out after scoring just 11 points. Roach scored 13 points on 5-of-13 shooting, while Tyrese Proctor was 0-of-9, including five missed threes.
DJ Barnes Jr. of the North Carolina State Wolfpack celebrates after scoring in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament against the Duke Blue Devils on March 31, 2024 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas# 30 and Ben Middlebrooks #34. March 31, 2024. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
NC State has a tough task against Purdue, especially big man Zach Eadie, who dropped 40 points against Tennessee on Sunday, punching his ticket to the Final Four. But the Wolfpack continues to shock opponents, starting with No. 6 Texas Tech in the Sweet 16 and most recently No. 2 Marquette.
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The other Final Four matchup is No. 1 UConn and No. 4 Alabama, both on April 6 at State Farm Stadium.
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