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Down goes Duke: NC State upsets Blue Devils, stays alive as potential bid-stealer
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NC State defeated Duke 74-69 on Thursday night, advancing to the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament.
The Wolfpack have now won games in 3 consecutive days — and is now within striking distance of potentially stealing a NCAA Tournament bid from a program currently on the bubble.
SEMIFINALS BOUND #GoPack pic.twitter.com/XvU4sdZe7u
— NC State Men's Basketball (@PackMensBball) March 15, 2024
DJ Horne led NC State with 18 points off the bench as he continues to recover from a hip injury that caused him to miss the Wolfpack’s opening-round game. Horne also sank the game-sealing free throws in the final seconds of this contest.
Casey Morsell, DJ Burns, Mohamed Diarra and Michael O’Connell also scored in double figures in the win.
For NC State, the only option if it hopes to reach the NCAA Tournament is to run the table from here on out. That would require a win over Boston College or Virginia on Friday and then over North Carolina or Pittsburgh on Saturday in the final. The Wolfpack entered the day ranked No. 73 in the NET.
NC State had just a 2.3% chance of winning the ACC Tournament coming into today, according to BartTorvik’s TourneyCast model.
For Duke, this is a concerning loss. The Blue Devils have just 3 wins so far this season against teams currently ranked inside the top-30 of KenPom. Those wins came against Michigan State, Baylor and Wake Forest.
The Blue Devils will now have a long wait until Sunday to learn the seeding for the 2024 NCAA Tournament. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi projected the Blue Devils as a No. 3 seed in his latest update shortly after Duke’s loss. Duke is currently +500 to make the Final Four according to the most recent odds from FanDuel.
21+ and present in NC. Gambling problem? Call 877-718-5543 or visit morethanagame.nc.gov.
PRE-REGISTER!NC State will face either Virginia or Boston College in the semifinals on Friday night in Washington DC. Lines from some of the best sports betting apps on the market for that game should be posted soon. Sports betting in North Carolina is now legal, so don’t miss out on the action this March!
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
