of north carolina Friday night, the men’s basketball team returned to the ACC Championship Game for the first time since 2007 with a 73-65 win over Virginia State, thanks to a thrilling 3-point buzzer-beater that sent overtime.
Michael O’Connell, playing his first season with the Wolfpack after spending three years at Stanford University, helped North Carolina State improve its chances of earning a ticket to the NCAA Division I men’s division. basketball tournament The next week, when he controlled the ball with four seconds left and a 58-55 lead.
#12 Michael O’Connell of the North Carolina State Wolfpack makes a 3-point shot late in regulation to tie the game against #11 Isaac McKneely of the Virginia Cavaliers in the semifinals of the ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament. March 15, 2024, Capital One Arena in Washington, DC (Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
O’Connell ran the ball up the left sideline, took a shot from in front of his team’s bench, and sank a 3-pointer to beat the buzzer.
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“I saw it firsthand,” head coach Kevin Keatts said. “When the shot went up, I thought, ‘Hey, that shot is in, it’s in.’ And luckily it went in, and obviously it sent overtime.”
DJ Barnes Jr. scored seven points in overtime, sealing Virginia’s fate.
“I’m happy with how our guys are doing. We’re staying alive. We have a chance to play against a very good team in Carolina tomorrow and we’re excited for that opportunity.”
North Carolina State Wolfpack No. 12 celebrates with his teammates after scoring the tying goal late in regulation against the Virginia Cavaliers in the semifinals of the ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 15, 2024. Michael O’Connell, Washington, D.C. (Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
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The win marks NC State’s first appearance in the championship game since 2007, and a win over top-seeded NC State on Saturday night would give the program its first title since 1987.
“I think that means everything,” Keatts said of the win. ACC Championship. “We have a great tradition. It means a lot. We’re proud of it, but it took a long time.”
North Carolina State Wolfpack head coach Kevin Keatts reacts to a call in the second half of the ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament semifinal game against the Virginia Cavaliers on March 15, 2024 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. (Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
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NC State has a chance to win five games in five days for an automatic ACC bid.they confront north carolina Saturday night in our nation’s capital at 8:30 p.m.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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