North Carolina State’s Casey Morsell (14) keeps control of the ball while being pressured by Duke’s Mark Mitchell (25) and Jeremy Roach (3) during the first half of a basketball game Elite Eight college ball in the NCAA tournament in Dallas, Sunday, March 3. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Brandon Wade)
Duke head coach Jon Scheyer reacts during the first half of an Elite Eight college basketball game against North Carolina State during the NCAA tournament in Dallas, Sunday, March 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
North Carolina State’s Michael O’Connell (12) goes up for a basket against Duke’s Jeremy Roach (3) and Jared McCain (0) during the first half of an Elite Eight college basketball game in the NCAA tournament in Dallas, Sunday March 31. , 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Duke’s Kyle Filipowski (30) attempts to keep the ball inbounds while under pressure from North Carolina State’s DJ Horne (0), Mohamed Diarra (23) and Ben Middlebrooks (34) during the first half of an Elite Eight college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament in Dallas, Sunday, March 31, 2024. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
North Carolina State’s DJ Horne (0) goes for a basket against Duke’s Mark Mitchell (25) during the first half of an Elite Eight NCAA tournament college basketball game in Dallas, Sunday 31 March 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutiérrez)
North Carolina State head coach Kevin Keatts reacts during the first half of an Elite Eight college basketball game against Duke during the NCAA tournament in Dallas, Sunday, March 31, 2024. ( AP Photo/Brandon Wade)
Duke’s Jeremy Roach (3) shoots against North Carolina State’s Jayden Taylor (1) during the first half of an Elite Eight college basketball game during the NCAA Tournament in Dallas, Sunday, March 31, 2024 (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
North Carolina State’s Mohamed Diarra (23) blocks a shot by Duke’s Kyle Filipowski (30) during the first half of an Elite Eight college basketball game in the NCAA tournament in Dallas, on Sunday, March 31, 2024. North Carolina State’s Ben Middlebrooks, back, helps defend on the play. (AP Photo/Brandon Wade)
Duke’s Kyle Filipowski (30) is blocked by North Carolina State’s Ben Middlebrooks, left, and Mohamed Diarra during the first half of an NCAA Tournament Elite Eight college basketball game in Dallas, on Sunday, March 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Julio Cortés)
North Carolina State’s DJ Burns Jr., right, works the court against Duke’s Kyle Filipowski during the second half of an NCAA Tournament Elite Eight college basketball game in Dallas on Sunday, March 31 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Duke’s Mark Mitchell, right, drives to the basket against North Carolina State’s DJ Burns Jr. during the second half of an NCAA Tournament Elite Eight college basketball game in Dallas, Sunday 31 March 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Duke’s Kyle Filipowski reacts after a play against North Carolina State during the second half of an Elite Eight college basketball game in the NCAA tournament in Dallas, Sunday, March 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez )
North Carolina State’s Ben Middlebrooks reacts after a foul against Duke during the second half of an Elite Eight NCAA tournament college basketball game in Dallas, Sunday, March 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Brandon Wade)
Duke’s Ryan Young (15) reacts after a play against North Carolina State during the second half of an Elite Eight college basketball game during the NCAA tournament in Dallas, Sunday, March 31, 2024. ( AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Duke’s Jeremy Roach (3) battles North Carolina State’s DJ Horne (0) during the second half of an Elite Eight college basketball game during the NCAA tournament in Dallas, Sunday, March 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
By STEPHEN HAWKINS (AP Sports Editor)
DALLAS — Brutal big man DJ Burns Jr. scored a season-high 29 points, DJ Horne scored 20 and 11th-seeded North Carolina State reached its first Final Four in four decades, beating its rival of the Atlantic Coast Conference Duke 76-64 in the South region. last Sunday.
NC State (26-14) is back in the national semifinals for the first time since the late Jim Valvano sprinted across the field looking for someone to hug after winning the 1983 national title with an upset against Houston and Phi Slama Jama.
The Wolfpack heads into Glendale, Ariz., next weekend with a nine-game winning streak. After losing their final four regular season games, and seven of nine, they had to win five games in five days in the ACC Tournament, including a win over Duke in the quarterfinals, just to get into the 68-team field. the NCAA. They will now face Zach Edey and Purdue in the first national semifinal game, before defending champion UConn takes on Alabama.
Fourth-seeded Duke (27-9), which ousted Houston in the Sweet 16 two nights earlier, missed its second Final Four in three seasons.
Shortly after Wolfpack coach Kevin Keatts was cautioned for a technical foul with 8 minutes remaining, his team had a double-digit lead and was on track to become a double-digit seventh seed to reach the Final Four since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985.
Jared McCain made both free throws for the technical that Keatts got after officials ruled that a missed shot by Duke’s Kyle Filipowski went off the backboard and one of his players left the shot clock . Replays showed that while there perhaps should have been a foul since Burns made contact with Filipowski’s arm, the 6-foot-9, 275-pound Wolfpack forward’s hand wasn’t even not close to the ball.
A minute later, Ben Middlebrooks came up with a steal that led to a quick 3-pointer by Michael O’Connell. There was a foul while the ball was in the air, so the Wolfpack kept possession and Burns made another nifty basket for 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 hitting 8 of 20 shots and making all 11 of his free throws. Jeremy Roach had 13 points while 7-foot center Filipowski had 11 points and nine rebounds before fouling out with 4:52 left and the Blue Devils already down by eight.
FOLLOWING
NC State and Purdue meet for the first time in the NCAA tournament.
