NC State beats No. 4 North Carolina to win the ACC Tournament and earn an automatic NCAA bid
WASHINGTON (AP) With their pair of DJs spinning a winning tune, the North Carolina State Wolfpack are going dancing in the NCAA Tournament after capping a historic run by knocking off fourth-ranked North Carolina.
DJ Horne scored 29 points, DJ Burns Jr. had 20, including the first 3-pointer of his college career, and N.C. State won the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament final, beating the Tar Heels 84-76 on Saturday night.
The Wolfpack became just the second team to win any conference tournament as a double-digit seed, 10th out of 15 teams, and the first to win the ACC's with five victories in as many days.
"Winning five games in five nights is a miracle," emotional N.C. State coach Kevin Keatts said. “We’ve got to get some rest because, guess what, we’re going to the NCAA tournament.”
Horne starred while playing 32 minutes through foul trouble, going shot for shot with UNC's unanimous ACC player of the year RJ Davis, who was spectacular with 30 points.
As he encouraged cheers from the crowd, fans in red chanted, “DJ Horne! DJ Horne!” when he fouled out with 1:11 left.
“I can’t even put it into words right now,” Horne said. “Just a week ago, it was looking like our season was about to be over, and here we are now, man, on top of the world.”
Fans then chanted Burns' name when he was named tournament MVP.
“We knew we were capable of it,” Burns said. “It just doesn’t feel real. It may eventually.”
After Keatts said repeatedly his team was one of many needing to win the conference tournament to make the NCAAs, his Wolfpack (22-14) won the ACC Tournament for the first time since 1987 under Jim Valvano, when it was played outside Washington in Landover, Maryland.
That one came in a similar fashion: against the top-seeded and regular-season champion Tar Heels, who had beaten the Wolfpack twice that season, just like this year.
The Wolfpack snatched an automatic NCAA bid, bursting someone's bubble and giving the ACC at least a fourth team in the NCAA Tournament along with locks UNC, Duke and Clemson. Virginia, Pittsburgh and Wake Forest are among the teams who will be sweating out Selection Sunday.
“Like I said from the jump, man, why not us?” Horne said.
UNC (27-7) likely shored up a top seed for March Madness by reaching the final with a rout of Florida State, then getting a starring performance from Davis to beat Pitt in the semifinals. Davis, Armando Bacot and their teammates won the ACC regular-season title but went cold down the stretch on Saturday, missing 12 consecutive shots down the stretch.
“We didn’t play our best basketball,” Davis said. “Coach (Hubert) Davis always talks about response and how we’re going to respond when we get knocked down, so going into the March Madness, we’re going to have to prepare, come together as a group and fix the mistakes that we made tonight.”
The fatigue of playing a fifth game in as many days, including overtime in the semifinals against Virginia, was noticeable at times. But N.C. State muscled through it, with plenty of bulk inside from Burns, a 6-foot-9, 260-pound fifth-year senior.
In addition to backing down Bacot for several baskets and tying his career high with seven assists, his 3 with the shot clock running out in the first half was his first from beyond the arc in his 160th college game. He shimmied back down the court, flexed toward the crowd in the final minutes and his next action will be in the NCAA Tournament.
N.C. State: Talk about Keatts losing his job will likely subside, and now the Wolfpack will try to pull off the NCAA Tournament win they couldn't last year, when as an 11 seed they lost to Creighton. Keatts earned a two-year contract extension through 2028 by winning the ACC.
UNC: Despite the defeat, the Tar Heels are still one of the country's best teams and won't be an easy out for any opponent. This was their first loss since Feb. 13, and as Pitt coach Jeff Capel said, “They’re relentless, they’re old (and) they’re good.”
UNC and N.C. State will both be playing in the NCAA Tournament starting next week.
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Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
20:00 | Mohamed Diarra vs. Armando Bacot (Tar Heels gains possession) | |||
19:30 | Elliot Cadeau misses two point jump shot | |||
19:28 | Mohamed Diarra defensive rebound | |||
19:08 | +2 | DJ Horne makes two point jump shot | 2-0 | |
18:51 | Armando Bacot misses two point jump shot | |||
18:49 | DJ Horne defensive rebound | |||
18:32 | RJ Davis shooting foul (Casey Morsell draws the foul) | |||
18:32 | +1 | Casey Morsell makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 3-0 | |
18:32 | Casey Morsell misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | |||
18:32 | Armando Bacot defensive rebound | |||
18:23 | Harrison Ingram misses three point jump shot | |||
18:21 | Casey Morsell defensive rebound | |||
17:54 | DJ Burns Jr. turnover (bad pass) | |||
17:47 | +2 | Elliot Cadeau makes two point layup | 3-2 | |
17:27 | +3 | Michael O'Connell makes three point jump shot (DJ Burns Jr. assists) | 6-2 | |
17:07 | RJ Davis misses three point jump shot | |||
17:05 | Casey Morsell defensive rebound | |||
16:54 | +3 | DJ Horne makes three point jump shot (DJ Burns Jr. assists) | 9-2 | |
16:36 | Harrison Ingram misses three point jump shot | |||
16:34 | Michael O'Connell defensive rebound | |||
16:16 | +2 | DJ Burns Jr. makes two point jump shot | 11-2 | |
16:05 | DJ Burns Jr. shooting foul (Armando Bacot draws the foul) | |||
16:05 | +1 | Armando Bacot makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 11-3 | |
16:05 | +1 | Armando Bacot makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 11-4 | |
15:47 | DJ Horne misses three point jump shot | |||
15:45 | Armando Bacot defensive rebound | |||
15:39 | Elliot Cadeau turnover (bad pass) (Casey Morsell steals) | |||
15:32 | +3 | Mohamed Diarra makes three point jump shot (Casey Morsell assists) | 14-4 | |
15:20 | TV timeout | |||
15:12 | Armando Bacot misses two point layup | |||
15:10 | Ben Middlebrooks defensive rebound | |||
14:49 | Michael O'Connell misses two point jump shot | |||
14:45 | Wolfpack offensive rebound | |||
14:31 | Jae'Lyn Withers blocks DJ Horne's two point jump shot | |||
14:29 | Cormac Ryan defensive rebound | |||
14:19 | +2 | Jae'Lyn Withers makes two point layup (RJ Davis assists) | 14-6 | |
14:08 | +2 | DJ Horne makes two point jump shot | 16-6 | |
13:53 | +3 | RJ Davis makes three point jump shot | 16-9 | |
13:25 | Ben Middlebrooks misses two point layup | |||
13:23 | RJ Davis defensive rebound | |||
13:15 | RJ Davis misses three point jump shot | |||
13:13 | Michael O'Connell defensive rebound | |||
13:10 | +2 | Mohamed Diarra makes two point dunk (Michael O'Connell assists) | 18-9 | |
12:41 | +2 | Jalen Washington makes two point layup (RJ Davis assists) | 18-11 | |
12:27 | +2 | DJ Horne makes two point jump shot (Ben Middlebrooks assists) | 20-11 | |
12:12 | DJ Horne personal foul | |||
12:03 | Seth Trimble turnover (traveling) | |||
11:51 | DJ Burns Jr. misses two point jump shot | |||
11:49 | Armando Bacot defensive rebound | |||
11:25 | Elliot Cadeau misses two point jump shot | |||
11:23 | DJ Burns Jr. defensive rebound | |||
11:10 | Casey Morsell misses two point jump shot | |||
11:08 | Jae'Lyn Withers defensive rebound | |||
10:56 | +2 | Armando Bacot makes two point jump shot (Seth Trimble assists) | 20-13 | |
10:36 | +2 | DJ Burns Jr. makes two point jump shot | 22-13 | |
10:18 | +3 | Harrison Ingram makes three point jump shot (Elliot Cadeau assists) | 22-16 | |
9:52 | Mohamed Diarra offensive foul | |||
9:52 | Mohamed Diarra turnover (offensive foul) | |||
9:52 | TV timeout | |||
9:43 | RJ Davis misses two point jump shot | |||
9:41 | DJ Horne defensive rebound | |||
9:27 | +2 | DJ Horne makes two point jump shot (DJ Burns Jr. assists) | 24-16 | |
9:15 | +2 | Cormac Ryan makes two point jump shot (Elliot Cadeau assists) | 24-18 | |
8:58 | +2 | Jayden Taylor makes two point layup (DJ Burns Jr. assists) | 26-18 | |
8:37 | +2 | RJ Davis makes two point layup | 26-20 | |
8:17 | Cormac Ryan personal foul | |||
8:11 | DJ Horne misses three point jump shot | |||
8:09 | Armando Bacot defensive rebound | |||
8:00 | Cormac Ryan misses three point jump shot | |||
7:58 | Michael O'Connell defensive rebound | |||
7:50 | Michael O'Connell misses two point layup | |||
7:48 | Armando Bacot defensive rebound | |||
7:40 | +3 | RJ Davis makes three point jump shot (Elliot Cadeau assists) | 26-23 | |
7:23 | +2 | Casey Morsell makes two point jump shot | 28-23 | |
7:15 | +2 | Elliot Cadeau makes two point layup | 28-25 | |
6:52 | DJ Horne misses two point layup | |||
6:50 | Armando Bacot defensive rebound | |||
6:45 | +3 | RJ Davis makes three point jump shot | 28-28 | |
6:24 | TV timeout | |||
6:10 | Michael O'Connell misses three point jump shot | |||
6:08 | Armando Bacot defensive rebound | |||
5:51 | Casey Morsell personal foul | |||
5:41 | Jump ball. Harrison Ingram vs. Mohamed Diarra (Mohamed Diarra gains possession) | |||
5:40 | Harrison Ingram turnover (lost ball) (Mohamed Diarra steals) | |||
5:13 | DJ Burns Jr. misses two point jump shot | |||
5:11 | RJ Davis defensive rebound | |||
4:56 | RJ Davis misses two point jump shot | |||
4:54 | Elliot Cadeau offensive rebound | |||
4:50 | Mohamed Diarra shooting foul (RJ Davis draws the foul) | |||
4:50 | +1 | RJ Davis makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 28-29 | |
4:50 | +1 | RJ Davis makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 28-30 | |
4:35 | +2 | DJ Burns Jr. makes two point layup | 30-30 | |
4:07 | RJ Davis misses three point jump shot | |||
4:05 | DJ Burns Jr. defensive rebound | |||
3:52 | +2 | DJ Horne makes two point jump shot (DJ Burns Jr. assists) | 32-30 | |
3:43 | +2 | Armando Bacot makes two point jump shot (RJ Davis assists) | 32-32 | |
3:10 | +3 | DJ Burns Jr. makes three point jump shot (Jayden Taylor assists) | 35-32 | |
2:40 | Seth Trimble misses two point jump shot | |||
2:39 | Seth Trimble offensive rebound | |||
2:39 | DJ Horne shooting foul (Seth Trimble draws the foul) | |||
2:39 | TV timeout | |||
2:39 | +1 | Seth Trimble makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 35-33 | |
2:39 | +1 | Seth Trimble makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 35-34 | |
2:17 | +2 | DJ Burns Jr. makes two point jump shot (DJ Horne assists) | 37-34 | |
2:06 | +2 | Armando Bacot makes two point layup (RJ Davis assists) | 37-36 | |
1:46 | DJ Burns Jr. turnover (lost ball) (Armando Bacot steals) | |||
1:41 | DJ Horne shooting foul (Harrison Ingram draws the foul) | |||
1:41 | Harrison Ingram misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
1:41 | +1 | Harrison Ingram makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 37-37 | |
1:23 | Armando Bacot personal foul (DJ Burns Jr. draws the foul) | |||
1:14 | Jayden Taylor misses two point jump shot | |||
1:12 | Jae'Lyn Withers defensive rebound | |||
0:57 | Seth Trimble misses three point jump shot | |||
0:55 | Casey Morsell defensive rebound | |||
0:32 | +2 | Ernest Ross makes two point jump shot (DJ Burns Jr. assists) | 39-37 | |
0:24 | Tar Heels 30 second timeout | |||
0:02 | +3 | Cormac Ryan makes three point jump shot (RJ Davis assists) | 39-40 | |
0:00 | End of period |