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 an Elite Eight college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament in Dallas, Sunday, March 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 in 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) tries to keep the ball in bounds while being pressured by 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 up for a basket against Duke’s Mark Mitchell (25) 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)
North Carolina State head coach Kevin Keatts reacts during the first half of an Elite Eight college basketball game against Duke in 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 in 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, 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 Elite Eight college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament in Dallas, Sunday, March 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
North Carolina State’s DJ Burns Jr., right, works the floor against Duke’s Kyle Filipowski 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)
Duke’s Mark Mitchell, right, drives to the basket against North Carolina State’s DJ Burns Jr. 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)
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 called on Duke during the second half of an Elite Eight college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament in Dallas, Sunday, March 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Brandon Wade)
Duke’s Ryan Young (15) reacts after a lay 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)
Duke’s Jeremy Roach (3) drives against North Carolina State’s DJ Horne (0) 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)
DALLAS — Bruising 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 Atlantic Coast Conference rival Duke 76-64 in the South Region final Sunday.
N.C. State (26-14) is back in the national semifinals for the first time since the late Jim Valvano was sprinting around the court looking for someone to hug after winning the 1983 national title with an upset over Houston and Phi Slama Jama.
The Wolfpack head to Glendale, Arizona, next weekend with a nine-game winning streak. After losing their last 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 quarterfinal round, just to get into the 68-team NCAA field. Now they will play Zach Edey and Purdue in the first national semifinal game, before defending champion UConn takes on Alabama.
Fourth-seeded Duke (27-9), which ousted top seed Houston in the Sweet 16 two nights earlier, missed out on its second Final Four in three seasons.
Soon after Wolfpack coach Kevin Keatts was called for a technical foul with 8 minutes left, his team had a double-digit lead and was well on its way to becoming the seventh double-digit seed to make the Final Four since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985.
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Jared McCain made both free throws for the technical that Keatts got after officials ruled a missed shot by Duke’s Kyle Filipowski that went over the backboard and off the shot clock went off one of his players. Replays showed that while maybe there should have been a foul since Burns made contact with Filipowski’s arm, the hand of the Wolfpack’s 6-foot-9, 275-pound forward wasn’t even close to the ball.
A minute later, Ben Middlebrooks had a steal that lead to a fast-break 3-pointer by Michael O’Connell. There was a foul called 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, 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 eight.
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N.C. State and Purdue are meeting in the NCAA Tournament for the first time.
