Survive and advance: NC State fans celebrate men and women’s epic tournament runs

The Cinderella fairy tale continues for N.C. State.

Extending a nine-game winning streak, Wolfpack fans tasted victory yet again Sunday when No. 11 seed N.C. State men’s basketball beat rival No. 4 Duke, 76-64.

Just a few hours earlier, N.C. State’s women’s team upset No. 1 Texas, 76-66 to make the Final Four.

This year was the first time both men’s and women’s teams reached the Elite Eight at the same time.

And Sunday’s historic wins marks N.C. State men’s first Final Four appearance since 1983 — when the Wolfpack took home the NCAA championship — and N.C. State women’s second Final Four appearance in program history. The first was in 1998.

N.C. State fans who had gathered at Player’s Retreat, a popular bar near campus, flooded to the nearby Belltower to revel with hundreds of fans. The Memorial Belltower glowed in N.C. State red lights.

“No one thought they could do it, and they’re here,” said N.C. State alum Laura Black, who watched back-to-back games at Players Retreat.

She remembers the first time N.C. State reached the Final Four in 1983. She was a junior at the time. She was aglow with hometown pride that she got to witness them do it again.

“They proved everyone wrong,” she said.

Around 2 p.m., fans were already clambering to find seats at Player’s Retreat. They gathered around 30 TVs mounted in the restaurant and bar area, including two 110-inch projector screens, to watch the back-to-back games.

Many red-clad fans spilled out into the street and settled in for hours, day-drinking on the outside patio under picture-perfect 81-degree blue skies.

Wolfpack diehards exchanged chants of “Wolf” and “Pack.”

“It’s an epic celebration,” said Cassondra Stoter, 20, a junior at N.C. State, who had been staked outside for hours.

For the last few weekends, Players’ Retreat has been her go-to hangout to watch the games.

She stormed the Belltower last Saturday when the Wolfpack defeated Marquette 67-58, and the women defeated Stanford 77-67.

She had planned to do the same Sunday night, win or lose.

“It’s the first time in so many years where we’ve made it to this spot. It’s a good North Carolina rivalry.”

Business booming

Since the tournament kicked off, fans have been gathering in bars and restaurants near campus to watch the team’s epic run.

It’s been a boon for the local economy, said Players’ Retreat owner Gus Gusler.

The restaurant posted record sales on Saturday night, March 16, when NC State notched a 74-69 win over Duke to claim the ACC tournament title and earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

Then, the following Saturday, they had the highest-grossing night in the bar’s 73-year history, he said.

The restaurant has a 150-person capacity inside, and it was packed, from opening to closing.

“We ran 1,000 people in the restaurant from start to closing,” he said. “We flipped the tables four or five times.”

The surge is been “much needed,” he added. “We’ve all been struggling to get back. It’s a blessing for everybody.”