The Wolfpack are roaring onto the Final Four.
No. 11 NC State on Sunday stunned No. 4 Duke 76-64 in their Elite Eight matchup of the 2024 men's NCAA Tournament, further solidifying the program as this year's main Cinderella team.
WATCH ANYTIME FOR FREE
 |
Stream NBC10 Boston news for free, 24/7, wherever you are. |
The first 20 minutes was a low-scoring affair that saw NC State trailing 27-21.
Get updates on what's happening in Boston to your inbox. Sign up for our News Headlines newsletter.
However, the second half was a completely different story as the Wolfpack hunted Duke on both ends of the floor, outscoring a robust Blue Devils defense 55-37.
Senior guard DJ Horne scored 18 points on 7-for-16 shooting for NC State, but the primary star was senior big man DJ Burns Jr.
After a quiet game scoring wise when NC State upset No. 2 Marquette in the Sweet 16, Burns Jr. dropped 29 points on 13-for-19 shooting overall and 3-for-4 from the free throw line to go with four rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
Potential top draft pick Kyle Filipowski had a game to forget, fouling out early after recording 11 points, nine rebounds, one assist and one steal on 3-for-11 shooting overall, 0-for-3 from deep and 5-for-5 from the foul line.
Freshman guard Jared McCain led Duke with 32 points thanks to going 5-for-11 from deep and 11-for-11 from the foul line, but it wasn't enough.
It's the Wolfpack's first time reaching the men's Final Four since 1983. They also did so in 1950 and 1974.
NC State made the Big Dance in 2023 as a No. 11 seed but fell to No. 6 Creighton 72-63 in the first round.
The Wolfpack will now play No. 1 Purdue in the Final Four on Saturday, April 6. If they win, No. 1 UConn or No. 4 Alabama will be their opponent in the national championship game.
