Wolfpack caps stunning week
N.C. State wins its fifth in five days
With the flick of DJ Horne’s wrist on a jumper and DJ Burns’ brute strength, North Carolina State, an unheralded No. 10 seed entering the ACC tournament, won its fifth game in five nights Saturday at Washington, slaying topseeded and bitter rival North Carolina, 84-76, for the program’s first ACC championship since 1987.
A Raleigh, N.C., native who used the transfer portal to return home and play his final college season for N.C. State, Horne scored 29 points against the Tar Heels. Burns, the hulking but nimble 6-9 big man, maneuvered in the paint to add 20 points to send the Wolfpack to the NCAA tournament for the second consecutive season under head coach Kevin Keatts.
No. 4-ranked UNC will head to the tournament as well. After shockingly missing the field a season ago, the Tar Heels could still be a No. 1 seed when the bracket is announced Sunday.
ACC player of the year RJ Davis scored 30 points for North Carolina, but the Tar Heels shot just 37.3% from the field, including making only 3 of 18 3-point attempts in the second half.
The Wolfpack showed no signs of any tired legs despite their hectic week. N.C. State shot 54.9% overall, including 50% in the second half to prevent the Tar Heels from leading over the game’s final 18:51 of play.
Other men’s tournaments
Big Ten: Max Klesmit made a runner in the lane with 4.8 seconds to play in overtime and Wisconsin beat Big Ten tournament top-seed and No. 3-ranked Purdue, 76-75, at Minneapolis. Klesmit’s clutch shot followed his teammate Chucky Hepburn’s in regulation, when Hepburn made a layup as time expired to force overtime. Zach Edey scored 28 for the Boilermakers, but missed a crucial free throw late in regulation. ... Terrance Shannon scored a career-high 40 points and 13th-ranked Illinois surged in the second half to advance to the final with a 9887 win against Nebraska. Shannon broke the Big Ten tournament record of 35 points by Northwestern’s Michael Thompson in 2011. Down by 11 at halftime, the Illini roared back to take a 15-point lead with 2:01 left.
Big East: The defending national champion Connecticut Huskies dusted off 10th -ranked Marquette, 73-57, in the conference final and final prep for the beginning of their national title defense. Donovan Clingan led the way with 22 points and a career-best 16 rebounds. Tournament MVP Tristen Newton had 13 points and 10 assists. The win gave UConn its eighth Big East championship, matching Georgetown’s record total.
SEC: Dylan Cardwell scored his only points on consecutive dunks in the final minutes as No. 12 Auburn held off ninthseeded Mississippi State for a 73-66 win in their semifinal at Nashville, Tenn. ... Florida outscored Texas A&M 53-40 in the second half to advance to Sunday’s final against Auburn. Denzel Aberdeen led the Gators with 20 points.
Big 12: Seventh-ranked Iowa State pummeled topranked Houston to win the conference title. The Cyclones led from the opening minutes and pulled away in the second half at Kansas City, Mo. Milana Momcilovic scored 18 points to pace the Cyclones, who held the Cougars’ top scorer, L.J. Cryer, to seven points.
America East: Shamir Bogues scored 15 points, TJ Long scored 14 and top seed Vermont beat No. 2 seed UMass-Lowell, 66-61, to clinch the Catamounts’ third consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament.
Ivy: Brown stunned topseeded Princeton, 90-81, behind Kino Lilly’s 27 points in their semifinal at New York. ... Second-seed Yale beat No. 2 seed Cornell, 6957, to reach Sunday’s final.
Mid- American: Kent State’s rally from a sevenpoint deficit with 3:27 remaining fell short when Akron’s Greg Tribble made two free throws with five seconds left to lift the Zips to a 62-61 win in the conference final at Cleveland.
MAAC: Corey Patterson scored 20 of his 24 points in the second half to rally St Peter’s to a 68-63 victory against Fairfield in the Metro Atlantic final at Atlantic City, N.J.
Women’s tournaments
Mid- American: Kent State shot 47.5% from the field and pulled away from Buffalo in the half for a 7860 win in the conference final at Cleveland. Katie Shumate led the Golden Flashes (21-10) with 18 points and nine rebounds.
Ivy: Madison St. Rose scored 18 points to lead Princeton to a 75-58 win against Columbia at New York to win the conference title.