Wolfpack takes down another ranked team
Allerik Freeman and North Carolina State seemingly couldn’t miss from three-point range Saturday, while the Wolfpack kept relentlessly pushing back any time No. 10 North Carolina threatened to stretch out a lead.
Now N.C. State can add another marquee name to its list of upset victims under first-year coach Kevin Keatts. Freeman scored a career-high 29 points and made 7 of 7 three-pointers, and the visiting Wolfpack knocked down 15 shots from behind the arc to beat the Tar Heels 95-91 in overtime.
“I think these guys are learning how to fight,” Keatts said, “and I think they’re learning how to compete.”
Neither team led by more than six, but N.C. State (15-7, 5-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) finally pushed through in the final seconds.
Omer Yurtseven added 16 points and 13 rebounds, including a putback with 30.9 seconds left in overtime and his team up a point. And Markell Johnson sealed the win with two free throws with 3.0 seconds left, capping his day with 20 points and 11 assists.
The Wolfpack’s notable wins include the reigning national champion Tar Heels (16-6, 5-4), Arizona and Duke when both were ranked No. 2, and a ranked Clemson team.
“Coach’s slogan has been ‘the new era,” Yurtseven said. “(The win) just shows it and it exactly represents what it says.”
Luke Maye had 31 points and 12 rebounds for UNC, while Theo Pinson had career highs of 22 points and 15 rebounds.
KENTUCKY 83, NO. 7 WEST VIRGINIA 76: Freshman forward Kevin Knox scored 19 of his season-high 34 points in the second half and Kentucky (16-5) overcame a 17-point deficit to beat host West Virginia in the Big 12-SEC Challenge. Knox offset a strong performance from Jevon Carter, who finished with 26 points for West Virginia (16-5). NO. 11 ARIZONA 74, UTAH 73: Dusan Ristic scored 23 points and made all three of his three-point attempts, including a key one in the final two minutes, to help host Arizona (18-4, 8-1 Pac12). Sedrick Barefield led the Utes (12-9, 4-5) with 26 points.
ALABAMA 80, NO. 12 OKLAHOMA 73: Collin Sexton had 18 points and Herbert Jones 14 for host Alabama in a Big 12-SEC Challenge game. Alabama (14-7) did a terrific defensive job on Oklahoma freshman sensation Trae Young, who scored just 17 points on 6-of-17 shooting. Khadeem Lattin led the Sooners (15-5) with 18.
NO. 14 TEXAS TECH 70, SOUTH CAROLINA 63: Keenan Evans scored 31 points, including the go-ahead three-pointer with 2:12 left, to lift visiting Texas Tech (17-4) in the Big 12-SEC Challenge. Chris Silva led the Gamecocks (13-8) with 16 points.