The NC State Wolfpack entered the fray at the ACC tournament this week as a 10-seed, needing to win the conference title to punch its ticket to March Madness.
And all the Wolfpack did was win five games in five consecutive nights, culminating with an 84–76 victory over No. 1 seed North Carolina on Saturday night in Washington D.C..
With the win, NC State captured its first ACC title since 1987.
Wolfpack guard DJ Horne finished with 29 points and four rebounds, while forward DJ Burns Jr added 20 points, seven assists and four rebounds of his own.
All-American guard R.J. Davis scored 30 points for the Tar Heels in defeat.
With the loss, North Carolina is in danger of falling off the one-seed line in the NCAA tournament. The Tar Heels will learn their fate in that regard on Sunday.
As for NC State, the win punches its ticket into the field, shrinks the bubble and certainly takes pressure off head coach Kevin Keatts—whose seat was warming after a disappointing regular season.
Instead, NC State is playing its best basketball of the season entering the Big Dance, and will make its second consecutive NCAA tournament appearance.
