Dallas — Birthmark Big man DJ Barnes Jr. With a season-high 29 points and DJ Horn scoring 20, No. 11 seed North Carolina State defeated Atlantic Coast Conference rival Duke 76-64 in the South Regional final on Sunday for the first time in 40 years. Made it to the final four.
North Carolina State (26-14) remembers the late Jim Valvano running around the court looking for someone to hug after the 1983 upset of Houston against Phi Slama Jama to win the national title. They returned to the national semifinals for the first time since then.
These Wolfpacks head to Glendale, Arizona next weekend looking for their ninth straight win. After losing the final four games of the regular season and seven of nine, the ACC Tournament required five wins in five days, including a win over Duke in the quarterfinal round, to get into the 68-team NCAA field. We had to win the match. Now, they will face Zach Eady and Purdue in the first game of the national semifinals, followed by defending champion UW taking on Alabama.
No. 4 seed Duke (27 wins, 9 losses) defeated No. 1 seed Houston in the Sweet 16 two days ago, missing out on advancing to the Final Four for the second time in three seasons.
Shortly after Wolfpack coach Kevin Keatts was called for a technical foul with eight minutes remaining, his team built a double-digit lead and became the seventh player to advance to the Final Four since the tournament expanded to 64 teams. He was on track to earn a number one seed. 1985 team.
After the referee ruled that Duke's Kyle Filipovski's missed shot went over the backboard and the shot clock was off, Jared McCain made two free throws on a technical that Keatts had earned, resulting in one player. Someone took it off. Replays showed there was probably a foul because Barnes made contact with Filipovski's arm, but the Wolfpack's 6-foot-9, 275-pound forward's hand didn't even come close to the ball.
A minute later, Ben Middlebrooks got a steal and Michael O'Connell made a fast-break 3-pointer. A foul was called while the ball was in the air, so the Wolfpack had possession and Barnes made another nifty basket to take a 53-42 lead.
O'Connell had six points, but finished with 11 rebounds and six assists.
McCain led Duke with 32 points, with the freshman guard making 8 of 20 shots and all 11 of his free throws. Jeremy Roach had 13 points and 7-foot center Filipovski had 11 points and nine rebounds, but he fouled out with 4 minutes, 52 seconds left, and the Blue Devils were already trailing by eight points.
North Carolina State University women make strides
The North Carolina State women's team defeated Texas 76-66 on Sunday and is aiming for its first Final Four appearance since 1998.
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North Carolina State and Purdue will meet for the first time in the NCAA Tournament.
