Instant observations: NC State men's basketball knocks off Duke in ACC Tournament

by: Noah Fleischman03/15/24fleischman_noah

Mar 13, 2024; Washington, D.C., USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Jayden Taylor (1) celebrates with Wolfpack guard DJ Horne (0) against the Syracuse Orange in the second half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

WASHINGTON — NC State entered the ACC tournament as one of the coldest teams in the league. It lost seven of nine down the stretch, including its last four games. But ever since it set foot inside Capital One Arena, the Wolfpack have looked like a different team. And when it played against second-seeded Duke in the conference tournament quarterfinals? The Wolfpack was firing on all cylinders. NC State knocked off Duke 74-69 on Wednesday night, advancing to the ACC semifinals for the first time since 2014. The Pack is also the first double-digit seed to make the semifinals since Miami did it in 2010. Graduate guard DJ Horne led the Wolfpack with 18 points, while junior forward Mohamed Diarra added 14 points in a double-double effort on the glass with 16 boards. Graduate guards Michael O'Connell and Casey Morsell had 12 and 11 points, respectively.