ACC final updates: NC State stuns UNC to win title. Who is on the All-Tournament team?
The final that no one expected continued to dole out the surprises Saturday night at the ACC Tournament.
N.C State, the school with Cinderella in its basketball DNA dating back four decades, rose from its No. 10 seed placement into the championship game, and upset top-seeded North Carolina, 84-76.
The Wolfpack (22-14) is the first ACC team ever to win five games in five days to win the championship game. In 2017, Duke won four games in four days but it started play on Wednesday and won the league title on Saturday night with its fourth win.
N.C. State opened the tournament Tuesday and toppled No. 15 seed Louisville, No. 7 seed Syracuse, No. 2 seed Duke and No. 3 seed Virginia before taking out No. 1 UNC on Saturday night. The Wolfpack won its first ACC championship since 1987.
UNC (27-7), meanwhile, beat No. 9 seed Florida State and No. 4 seed Pittsburgh over the past two days to put itself in position for its first ACC championship since 2016.
NC State basketball completes miracle ACC Tournament run, downs rival UNC in final
All-tournament
Led by tournament MVP DJ Burns, the Wolfpack landed three players on the all-ACC Tournament first team. DJ Horne and Michael O’Connell joined Burns on the group, along with RJ Davis and Armando Bacot from UNC.
Wolfpack forward Mo Diarra made the second team, along with Carlton Carrington and Ishmael Leggett of Pitt, Boston College’s Quinten Post and Virginia’s Reece Beekman.
Halftime update
NC State started the game nearly perfect, opening a 10-point lead. ACC player of the year RJ Davis keyed a Tar Heels comeback to erase that deficit. Cormac Ryan drilled a 3-pointer has the half ended to give UNC a lead, something its rarely had in the game.
The road to the Tar Heels taking a 40-39 halftime lead started with NC State making five of its first six shots, including three 3-pointers, to take a 14-4 lead. UNC began 1 of 7 from the field but never appeared rattled.
That’s because the Tar Heels have one of the nation’s top players in Davis. He scored his first points of the game on a 3-pointer with 13:52 to play in the half. When Davis hit his third 3-pointer of the night, the Wolfpack lead was gone and the score was tied at 28.
Davis sank two free throws at the 4:53 mark, giving the Tar Heels their first lead of the game at 30-28.
N.C. State responded behind DJ Burns, who drilled his first career 3-pointer on a shot-clock beating attempt from the top of the key. Burns added a more conventional, for him, basket in the lane with 2:17 to play in the half for a 37-34 Wolfpack lead.
When Burns drew a UNC double-team, he zipped a pass under the basket to Ernest Ross, who scored with 31 seconds left for a 39-37 N.C. State lead.
UNC held for the half’s final shot, which Ryan swished from the left corner to put the Tar Heels up 40-39.
UNC held the lead for just 16 seconds of the first half. The Heels shot 50%, heating up dramatically after their slow start. Davis scored 13 points.
The Wolfpack shot 58.6% in the first half, with DJ Horne scoring 13 points and Burns 11.
Tuesday’s results
No. 12 Notre Dame 84, No. 13 Georgia Tech 80
No. 10 N.C. State 94, No. 15 Louisville 85
No. 11 Boston College 81, No. 14 Miami 65
Photos: Take an inside look at the 2024 ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament
Wednesday’s results
No. 9 Florida State 86, No. 8 Virginia Tech 75
No. 5 Wake Forest 72, No. 12 Notre Dame 59
No. 10 NC State 83, No. 7 Syracuse 65
No. 11 Boston College 76, No. 6 Clemson 55
Thursday’s results
No. 1 UNC 92, No. 9 Florida State 67
No. 4 Pittsburgh 81, No. 5 Wake Forest 69
No. 10 NC State 74, No. 2 Duke 69
No. 3 Virginia 66, No. 11 Boston College 60, OT
‘We can’t be entitled:’ If Duke can’t find an edge, its NCAA Tournament will be short
Friday’s semifinals
No. 1 North Carolina 72, No. 4 Pitt 65
No. 10 N.C. State, 73, No. 3 Virginia, 65, OT
Saturday’s championship
No. 10 N.C. State, 84, No. 1 North Carolina, 76
