The No. 11 seeded NC State Wolfpack stunned the No. 6 seeded Texas Tech Red Raiders with an 80-67 victory in the second round of the 2024 men"s NCAA tournament on Thursday.
The game remained tightly contested in the first half, with NC State holding a narrow 37-33 lead at halftime.
However, the Wolfpack surged ahead in the second half, outscoring Texas Tech 43-34 to secure the decisive win.
NO. 11 NC STATE UPSETS NO. 6 TEXAS TECH ‼️ pic.twitter.com/ulqDk9M45V
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 22, 2024
A standout performance from junior forward Ben Middlebrooks played a pivotal role in NC State"s triumph.
Middlebrooks, who had been averaging just 5.5 points per game off the bench, delivered a sensational performance with 21 points, four rebounds, two steals, two blocks, and an assist.
Joining Middlebrooks in the scoring column were Mohamed Diarra (17 points), DJ Burns Jr. (16 points), and DJ Horne (16 points), all of whom contributed double-digit points as starters for NC State.
Meanwhile, Texas Tech struggled to find their rhythm from long range, shooting just 22.6% from beyond the arc compared to NC State"s 38.5% conversion rate. Joe
Toussaint led the scoring for the Red Raiders with 16 points, while Pop Isaacs (12 points) and Darrion Williams (10 points) were the only other players to reach double figures.
With their victory, NC State sets up an intriguing Cinderella showdown in the second round against No. 14-seeded Oakland.
Oakland pulled off a stunning upset of their own earlier in the day, eliminating No. 3 seeded Kentucky with an 80-76 victory.
The NC State-Oakland matchup marks just the seventh 11 vs. 14 second-round game in tournament history, with the No. 11 seed boasting a perfect 6-0 record in such matchups.
Oakland will look to defy the odds and make history by advancing to the Sweet 16 against the resilient Wolfpack squad.
