Fans go crazy as NC State basketball ends 38-year Elite 8 drought in Marquette upset
03/30/2024 06:08 AM
The Wolfpack stood tall over another foe. On Friday, NC State basketball pulled off an upset over Marquette basketball to book their ticket to the Elite Eight. (per ESPN and NCAA March Madness).
Led by guards DJ Horne and Casey Morsell, NC State took an early lead and held off Marquette for the rest of the game to claim the 67-58 victory.
NC STATE IS HEADED TO THE ELITE EIGHT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 38 YEARS pic.twitter.com/65gaIBM6h5
— ESPN (@espn) March 30, 2024
In a tournament where upsets seem to be the norm, NC State just added to the narrative. By taking down a highly-ranked team, the Wolfpack garnered the attention of March Madness fans all over the country.
Of course, a variety of reactions ensued, and as expected, no discussion on NC State would be complete without the mention of big man DJ Burns Jr.
NC State advances to the #Elite8pic.twitter.com/YXRXVKDSo7
— FanDuel TV (@FanDuelTV) March 30, 2024
DJ Burns pulling back up to the team hotel tonight pic.twitter.com/K6yxKTqhUs
— BetMGM (@BetMGM) March 30, 2024
Zach Randolph watching DJ Burns pic.twitter.com/MmBlHs9kMQ
— BetMGM (@BetMGM) March 30, 2024
What an awesome run NC State is on! pic.twitter.com/kTHuazL6n4
— Mid-Major Basketball (@midmajorball) March 30, 2024
Others were just impressed about how an 11th-seeded team like NC State overcame adversity to end up where they are now.
1. Finished 10th in the ACC
2. Ran the table in the ACC tournament defeating the top 3 seeds to win a March Madness bid
3. Once in the field of 64, continued to win up to the E8 and still countingA good reminder that it's never too late for any team to turn around their season. https://t.co/ziJN8EH7yU
— The MoCo Baseball Report (@MoCoBaseballLog) March 30, 2024
What an incredible run for NC State. Having worked several NC State games (mostly football), I genuinely enjoy the Pack fans.
That's a fanbase that hasn't had a ton to cheer for over a pretty long span, but always shows up. They deserve this. https://t.co/6STXomB21S
— Brennan Mense (@BrennanMense) March 30, 2024
The Wolf Pack continues to impress as they knock off Marquette and head to the Elite 8 https://t.co/jwrfKU3PHe
— The Game Changers Show (@T_G_C_Show) March 30, 2024
CINDERELLA STILL DANCING TO THE #Elite8! https://t.co/i8OXNFCR2v
— Elizabeth Tolson (@cbstolson) March 30, 2024
This has been a magical run to witness as a State fan , proud of our boys https://t.co/tXgmGqg1IN
— Blonded ♡ (@Blondedwxrld) March 30, 2024
NC State basketball stuns Marquette
Entering Friday’s clash, NC State already drew a bit of attention. They were fresh off a win against Oakland basketball, the team that made headlines after eliminating Kentucky in the opening round. Still, not a lot of people expected the Wolfpack to make it past Marquette.
A Big East powerhouse, Marquette’s 25-9 (14-6) regular-season record was the second-best in the entire conference (just behind UConn). The Golden Eagles were pictured by many to clash with either Duke or Houston in the Elite Eight, but NC State decided they’d play spoiler.
After taking the lead five minutes in, the Wolfpack never relinquished their advantage the entire game. They even led by as much as 16 points early in the second half. Marquette trimmed the lead down to six with under three minutes left, but a Casey Morsell jumper and a Michael O’Connell three pushed the lead up back to 11. Free throws in the final minute eventually sealed the deal for NC State.
DJ Horne’s 19 points and five rebounds led the way while Morsell added 15 points for the Wolfpack.
As for Marquette, outside shooting, or rather the lack of it, was the main culprit for their loss. The Golden Eagles shot just 4-of-31 (12.9%) from three-point range.
Up next: NC State vs. Duke
As the only remaining team that’s seeded outside the top 10, NC State will have to continue playing against heavyweights for a chance at bringing back what last happened in 1983: A National Championship. Come Sunday, the team will be facing off against Kyle Filipowski and Duke basketball.
The fourth-seeded Blue Devils are coming off a victory against top-seeded Houston basketball so NC State has to expect nothing less than a grueling game. And unlike what happened to Marquette on Friday, Duke is expected to make their three-pointers, as they’ve done the whole year. The Blue Devils are an outside-shooting team that currently averages 37.7% from downtown.
Nevertheless, NC State has shown that they can compete with the favorites. And their players have commendable numbers as well. DJ Horne and Michael O’Connell shoot 41.1% and 37.3% from three (respectively). Big man DJ Burns has a 52.7% field goal percentage. On the defensive side, Horne manages 1.3 steals a game.
Whatever happens on Sunday, one thing’s for sure: With how far the Wolfpack has come, they’ll surely put in the effort to send shockwaves all over the college basketball world once again.
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