PITTSBURGH — Jayden Taylor hit an important 3-pointer in time beyond regulation that supplied the cushion to present the NC State basketball workforce a 79-73 win over Oakland within the second spherical of the NCAA Match in PPG Paints Enviornment on Saturday evening.
The Wolfpack (24-14) led the vast majority of the evening earlier than the Golden Grizzlies got here again to take the lead late within the second half. The groups battled to a 66-66 tie on the finish of regulation to drive time beyond regulation, the place the Wolfpack pulled away for the victory.
DJ Burns, Jr. led the Wolfpack with 24 factors to go along with 11 rebounds to ship NC State to its first Candy 16 since 2015.
NC State basketball’s DJs deal with early enterprise
To assault Oakland’s zone protection, NC State knew it was going to need to make the most of its guards offensively a bit greater than it did within the first spherical towards Texas Tech.
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DJ Horne answered that decision early. After forcing a tricky 3-point try from Oakland’s Blake Lampman on the primary possession of the sport, Horne bought unfastened for a fast-break layup off a feed from Michael O’Connell to start out the scoring.
Horne accounted for NC State’s first seven factors however was held scoreless within the remaining 16:32 of the half.
DJ Burns, Jr. took over from there. He confirmed endurance towards the Oakland protection, discovering the angles wanted for well timed passes or powerful finishes off the glass. Burns had eight factors and three boards on the break.
Oakland would not go away
A number of occasions within the first half, it appeared the Wolfpack have been prime to run away with it. In every incidence, the Golden Grizzlies had a solution, often on a 3-pointer.
Jack Gohlke was blanketed by NC State defenders O’Connell and Casey Morsell all through the primary half however discovered sufficient daylight to hit three of his six 3-point makes an attempt. Three different gamers had six factors within the first 20 minutes, and Rocket Watts hit a jumper on the buzzer to make it a 32-29 benefit for the Wolfpack on the break.
Trey Townsend solutions the decision
NC State once more had an opportunity to interrupt the sport open early within the second half, however Oakland’s Trey Townsend, thought-about the workforce’s finest participant earlier than Gohlke’s breakout efficiency within the first spherical towards Kentucky, made his assertion.
Townsend scored Oakland’s first eight factors of the second half, and his layup with 12:49 left knotted the sport 42-all.
Lengthy dwell the 3-pointer
After the Golden Grizzlies tied it up, each groups went on sizzling streaks from past the arc.
Between the 12:49 mark and the three:59 mark, NC State and Oakland mixed for eight threes. The Wolfpack held on to the lead all through this time nevertheless it saved the sport shut and tight late, the hallmark for any faculty basketball fan.
When the sport was tied 66-all with 36.8 seconds left, Oakland had 11 made 3s (six from Gohlke) and NC State had eight.