North Carolina State University

DALLAS – The NC State men’s basketball team isn’t done yet, as Kevin Keatts‘ team is headed to the Final Four in Glendale, Az. The Wolfpack defeated second-seed Duke, 76-64, Sunday evening inside American Airlines Center to advance to the national semifinals for the first time since 1983.

The Wolfpack won its ninth-straight game to become only the seventh double-digit seed in history to make it to the Final Four 

America’s sweetheart, DJ Burns, Jr., led the Pack with a season-high 29 points, while DJ Horne added 20. Michael O’Connell added a career-high 11 rebounds and passed out a season-high six assists.

Ben Middlebrooks added seven points, five rebounds, four offensive, and a game-high three blocks in 26 minutes off the bench. 

Mohamed Diarra, who entered the game with seven consecutive double-digit rebounding games and had a double-double in five of the last six games, added seven rebounds.

Burns, Jr., was named the South Region’s Most Outstanding Player. He was joined on the All-Tournament team by Horne while Duke’s Kyle Filipowski and Jared McCain and Marquette’s Tyler Kolek rounded out the five-man squad.

NC State shot 73.1 percent in the second half and outscored Duke, 55-37, to turn a six-point halftime deficit into the Blue Devils first double-digit loss of the season.

The Pack held Duke to just 32.2 percent shooting for the game, the lowest field goal percentage for an NC State opponent this season.

The Pack took its first lead since it was 8-7 on two Horne free throws to make it 36-35 with 12:59 to play. The Blue Devils responded on its next possession with a three-point play to retake the lead, but Burns scored on NC State’s next possession and Horne made a floating jumper after a Duke turnover to give NC State a 40-38 lead with 11:48 remaining.

NC State would never trail again.

Burns and Horne’s back-to-back baskets were the start of a 17-4 run that closed with NC State up 53-42 with 6:55 to go.

Duke would never get closer than nine points the rest of the way.

Burns scored 20 of his 29 points in the second half as he made nine of his 11 second half field goal attempts. Hroned scored 15 of his 20 points in the second half as he made five of his seven field goal attempts in the final 20 minutes.

Duke was led by freshman Jared McCain who scored a game-high 32 points.

The Pack will play No. 1 seed Purdue in the Final Four. Tipoff in Phoenix is scheduled for 6:09 p.m. ET and the game will be televised on TBS.