Don’t give up — don’t ever give up. NC State men’s basketball lived up to former head coach Jim Valvano’s famous words and pulled off an improbable 73-65 victory over Virginia to secure its berth in the ACC championship.
Minutes before, it seemed that the Wolfpack’s (21-14, 9-11 ACC) run through the ACC tournament was ending. The tables turned, however, when Virginia’s (23-10, 13-7 ACC) Isaac McKneely bricked a free throw with just five seconds left in regulation. With the rebound secured, the red-and-white raced up the court, where graduate guard Michael O’Connell lofted the game tying shot at the buzzer. The ball arced high above the defender, bounced off the backboard and spun through the net — allowing the Wolfpack to briefly take a sigh of relief.
Once in overtime, NC State played like a team of destiny, desperate to keep its season afloat. The rattled Cavaliers struggled to contain graduate forward DJ Burns. Time and time again, Burns backed down defenders before muscling his way to the basket and poured in seven critical points on perfect shooting to send the Cavaliers packing. The overtime period was just a sample of Burns’ strong day where he scored 19 points.
Burns wasn’t the only big star for the Wolfpack — junior forward Ben Middlebrooks put on a show. In the first half, Middlebrook cooked Virginia in the paint, powering his way to 10 points off of 4-5 shooting. The Clemson transfer was also a disruptive force defensively, blocking shots and stealing a pair of passes. Middlebrooks’ contributions were critical in helping the Wolfpack reach a 29-29 tie at halftime.
Virginia quickly jumped out to a four-point lead in the second half. Playing in its fourth game in four days, it appeared that the Wolfpack was finally running out of gas — once again a hero emerged for the Pack. On a broken play, O’Connell found himself with the ball and the shot clock winding down. O’Connell coolly drilled a three, shifting momentum back in the Pack’s favor. The Stanford transfer was an X-factor all night, finishing with 12 points, three assists and an impressive block.
While O’Connell breathed life into the Pack’s offense, it was junior forward Mohamed Diarra that fortified the NC State defense. Diarra battled for every rebound, using his length and athleticism to his advantage. In 38 minutes of action, Diarra reeled in 12 boards, including nine on the defensive glass.
With about four minutes left in the second half, the Wolfpack once again showed fatigue by allowing the Cavaliers to create an 11-2 run and a seven point difference. With Virginia’s turtle-pace offense, time was quickly fading for the Wolfpack. However, magic was in the air for the red-and-white.
Virginia, who’s struggled all season at the free throw line, found itself unable to hit free throws in the final minute of regulation. The Wolfpack took advantage and pulled themselves within three points. A wild 3 from graduate guard Casey Morsell appeared to be the end of the road. However, a missed free throw and O’Connell’s legendary shot followed, and the Wolfpack continued to make history in overtime.
With the win, NC State is headed to the ACC championship for the first time since 2007. Additionally, the Wolfpack is seeking its first ACC championship win since 1987, when Valvano led a star-studded team that included legends such as Rodney Monroe, Chris Corchiani, and Chucky Brown.
NC State’s ACC championship opponent will be its toughest task yet — No. 4 North Carolina. The Tar Heels won the ACC regular season title and are riding an eight-game winning streak. The red-and-white will have truly earned a championship if it can take down one more opponent.
The Wolfpack and the Tar Heels will tip off at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 16, on ESPN. A win would secure an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament and cement this season’s Wolfpack squad in history.
