After an arid spell enduring 37 lengthy years, the “Cardiac Pack” have emerged victorious and will continue their celebration into the NCAA Tournament.
DJ Horne delivered an outstanding performance by scoring 29 points for North Carolina State, the 10th seed, securing their remarkable fifth consecutive triumph in as many days on Saturday evening. They defeated their top-seeded rivals, North Carolina, with a final score of 84-76, winning the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament and earning the league’s automatic entry to the Big Dance.
For UNC (27-7) — positioned as No. 4 in the AP Top 25 Poll — this defeat halts their eight-game winning streak.
The exceptional performance of DJ Burns Jr., contributing 20 points and equalling his career-high with seven assists, played a pivotal role in guiding NC State (22-14) to their first ACC triumph since 1987. NC State now holds the distinction of being the lowest-seeded team to ever clinch the conference tournament.
In addition to the standout displays by Horne and Burns, Mohamed Diarra dominated with a game-high 14 rebounds and 11 points, while Michael O’Connell added 10 points.
UNC had set their sights on capturing their first ACC championship title since 2016 and potentially securing a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Tar Heels were hampered by their defensive performance, allowing NC State to achieve a shooting percentage of 54.9%, marking the third-highest shooting rate conceded by UNC to an opponent this season.
Although RJ Davis — named ACC Player of the Year — and Armando Bacot put up impressive numbers for UNC, only one other Tar Heel player managed to score in the double figures. Davis concluded the game with 30 points on 10-of-26 shooting, while Bacot contributed 18 points and 12 rebounds. Harrison Ingram chipped in with 10 points.
While much of the game revolved around a traditional battle in the paint between Burns and Bacot, NC State surged ahead with a trio of successful 3-pointers within the initial five minutes, establishing a 14-4 lead.
UNC rallied back, led by Davis’ performance, who tied the game at 28-28 with a well-timed 3-pointer at the 6:46 mark in the first half. Cormac Ryan’s last-second 3-pointer in the first half gave UNC a slight edge going into the break.
During the first half, the Wolfpack strategically utilized Burns in the offensive plays, granting him numerous opportunities in the paint. The commanding forward aggressively drove towards the basket or distributed the ball to an open shooter when faced with a double-team. Burns concluded the first half with 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting along with six assists.
NC State reclaimed the lead in the second half. With 7:04 remaining, Horne was fouled while scoring a layup, jubilantly celebrating with a scream, flex, and high-fives with Wolfpack supporters seated near the court before confidently converting a free throw, increasing the team’s lead to eight points.
Horne, who later fouled out with 1:17 left to play, contributed 16 points in the second half and showcased impressive accuracy, shooting 9-of-11 from the free-throw line post-interval.
In the final minutes of play, two successful free throws by Diarra expanded NC State’s lead to 12 points, marking their largest lead of the game. The Wolfpack dominated the game for over 33 minutes.
This marked the seventh confrontation between UNC and NC State in the ACC tournament championship, with the Tar Heels now boasting a 4-3 record against the Wolfpack.
The tournament landscape is set to undergo changes next year as Stanford, Cal, and SMU join the league, with the bottom three teams from the regular season standings facing exclusion from the tournament.
