Ben Middlebrooks scores career-high 21 points, N.C. State stays hot in 80-67 win over Texas Tech
PITTSBURGH (AP) North Carolina State is getting a little tired of being asked if it's tired.
The way the Wolfpack are playing, it's hard to blame them.
Ben Middlebrooks scored a career-high 21 points and 11th-seeded N.C. State surged past sixth-seeded Texas Tech 80-67 on Thursday night in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Wolfpack (23-14), who won five games in five days in the ACC Tournament to earn an automatic bid, didn't look hung over emotionally or physically while capturing their first March Madness game in nine years.
“We heard a lot about fatigue,” Middlebrooks said. "It seems like we’re getting stronger every game we play.”
It certainly seemed that way. N.C. State didn't miss a beat when Burns ran into foul trouble in the first half. Middlebrooks stepped in and found plenty of room to work inside against the smaller Red Raiders.
“We completely played the game through our post,” Wolfpack coach Kevin Keatts said. “We really went inside out and it worked out for us.”
The 6-foot-9, 275-pound Burns finished with 16 points. Mo Diarra had 17 points and 12 rebounds for N.C. State, and DJ Horne also scored 16. The Wolfpack, who dropped four straight games at the end of the regular season to play themselves off the tournament bubble, have now won six straight.
“When you’ve got transfers, people think it’s supposed to happen right away. We lost 34 points from our guards (from last year),” Keatts said. “It took a little time for us to get clicking on both ends of the floor.”
N.C. State will face 14th-seeded Oakland on Saturday, ensuring a double-digit seed will advance to the South Region semifinals. The Grizzlies beat third-seeded Kentucky 80-76 earlier Thursday night.
Joe Toussaint led the Red Raiders (23-11) with 16 points, but Texas Tech made just 7 of 31 3-pointers and couldn't keep pace in the second half. Warren Washington, playing for just the second time since Feb. 12 due to a foot injury, had six points and eight rebounds in 18 minutes.
“The season’s been filled with a lot of things I probably like can’t control but at the end of the day, that happens,” Washington said. “I can’t complain. I’ve just got to move on.”
N.C. State broke the game open with a 13-2 surge midway through the second half, highlighted by a pretty bounce pass from Michael O'Connell that turned into a dunk by Diarra and a soft running hook shot by Burns that made it 65-51.
The Red Raiders had relied on defense to reach the tournament in coach Grant McCasland's first season. Texas Tech came in 18-0 when holding opponents under 70 points and just 5-10 when teams reach that threshold.
N.C. State hit the 70-point mark on a layup by Middlebrooks with 4:06 to go.
“I just thought they were tougher than we were,” McCasland said. “I thought Middlebrooks, Diarra, their rebounding, their physicality and the combo of DJ and DJ scoring inside and out ... I thought they (just) beat us.”
It's been a remarkable turnaround over the last 10 days for N.C. State, which entered the ACC Tournament as the 10th seed and was dealing with questions about Keatts' future. The Wolfpack responded by beating rivals Duke, Virginia and North Carolina, the last a decisive victory in the title game.
Keatts admitted he was worried about how his team would respond emotionally against an opponent it barely knows. Turns out N.C. State was just fine thanks to Middlebrooks, a transfer from Clemson who has been a key reserve but rarely the focal point.
That changed against the Red Raiders. The 6-10 Middlebrooks tied his career high of 14 points set in January against Wake Forest in the first half. He kept going in the second. And when Burns - who plays a throwback under-the-rim game - got going after halftime, Texas Tech was scrambling to keep up.
It couldn't, sending N.C. State to the second round for the first time since 2015, when the Wolfpack won two games in Pittsburgh to reach the Sweet 16. Another chance awaits this weekend against the Horizon League champion Golden Grizzlies.
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Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
20:00 | Mohamed Diarra vs. Robert Jennings (Michael O'Connell gains possession) | |||
19:41 | DJ Burns Jr. misses two point jump shot | |||
19:39 | Pop Isaacs defensive rebound | |||
19:26 | Darrion Williams misses two point jump shot | |||
19:24 | DJ Burns Jr. defensive rebound | |||
19:18 | DJ Horne misses three point jump shot | |||
19:16 | Joe Toussaint defensive rebound | |||
19:08 | +2 | Joe Toussaint makes two point jump shot | 0-2 | |
18:48 | Robert Jennings blocks DJ Burns Jr.'s two point layup | |||
18:46 | Joe Toussaint defensive rebound | |||
18:34 | +2 | Pop Isaacs makes two point jump shot | 0-4 | |
18:20 | Michael O'Connell misses three point jump shot | |||
18:18 | Casey Morsell offensive rebound | |||
18:18 | Kerwin Walton personal foul (Casey Morsell draws the foul) | |||
18:07 | Robert Jennings personal foul (DJ Burns Jr. draws the foul) | |||
18:03 | DJ Burns Jr. offensive foul (Robert Jennings draws the foul) | |||
18:03 | DJ Burns Jr. turnover (offensive foul) | |||
17:45 | Robert Jennings turnover (lost ball) (Casey Morsell steals) | |||
17:17 | DJ Burns Jr. misses two point jump shot | |||
17:16 | Mohamed Diarra offensive rebound | |||
17:16 | +2 | Mohamed Diarra makes two point jump shot | 2-4 | |
17:16 | Kerwin Walton shooting foul (Mohamed Diarra draws the foul) | |||
17:16 | +1 | Mohamed Diarra makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 3-4 | |
17:04 | Mohamed Diarra blocks Darrion Williams's two point layup | |||
17:02 | Red Raiders offensive rebound | |||
16:57 | Joe Toussaint misses three point jump shot | |||
16:55 | Chance McMillian offensive rebound | |||
16:48 | +3 | Joe Toussaint makes three point jump shot (Darrion Williams assists) | 3-7 | |
16:27 | +2 | Ben Middlebrooks makes two point layup (DJ Horne assists) | 5-7 | |
16:07 | Chance McMillian misses three point jump shot | |||
16:05 | Michael O'Connell defensive rebound | |||
15:52 | Darrion Williams shooting foul (Casey Morsell draws the foul) | |||
15:52 | TV timeout | |||
15:52 | Casey Morsell misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
15:52 | +1 | Casey Morsell makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 6-7 | |
15:32 | Pop Isaacs misses three point jump shot | |||
15:30 | DJ Horne defensive rebound | |||
15:22 | DJ Horne misses two point jump shot | |||
15:20 | Darrion Williams defensive rebound | |||
15:17 | Ben Middlebrooks shooting foul (Pop Isaacs draws the foul) | |||
15:17 | +1 | Pop Isaacs makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 6-8 | |
15:17 | +1 | Pop Isaacs makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 6-9 | |
15:06 | +3 | DJ Horne makes three point jump shot (Michael O'Connell assists) | 9-9 | |
14:43 | Joe Toussaint misses three point jump shot | |||
14:41 | Mohamed Diarra defensive rebound | |||
14:28 | +3 | DJ Horne makes three point jump shot (Ben Middlebrooks assists) | 12-9 | |
13:54 | Darrion Williams misses three point jump shot | |||
13:52 | DJ Horne defensive rebound | |||
13:43 | Michael O'Connell misses two point jump shot | |||
13:41 | Darrion Williams defensive rebound | |||
13:36 | +2 | Warren Washington makes two point dunk (Joe Toussaint assists) | 12-11 | |
13:17 | Mohamed Diarra misses three point jump shot | |||
13:15 | Warren Washington defensive rebound | |||
13:04 | Pop Isaacs misses two point jump shot | |||
13:02 | Michael O'Connell defensive rebound | |||
13:00 | Pop Isaacs personal foul (Michael O'Connell draws the foul) | |||
12:40 | +2 | Ben Middlebrooks makes two point jump shot (Mohamed Diarra assists) | 14-11 | |
12:21 | +2 | Chance McMillian makes two point layup (Darrion Williams assists) | 14-13 | |
11:55 | Jayden Taylor turnover (bad pass) (Joe Toussaint steals) | |||
11:49 | Joe Toussaint misses three point jump shot | |||
11:47 | Kerwin Walton offensive rebound | |||
11:41 | Kerwin Walton misses two point jump shot | |||
11:39 | Ben Middlebrooks defensive rebound | |||
11:17 | +2 | Ben Middlebrooks makes two point layup | 16-13 | |
11:17 | Warren Washington shooting foul (Ben Middlebrooks draws the foul) | |||
11:16 | TV timeout | |||
11:17 | +1 | Ben Middlebrooks makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 17-13 | |
10:58 | +3 | Darrion Williams makes three point jump shot (Chance McMillian assists) | 17-16 | |
10:36 | Casey Morsell misses three point jump shot | |||
10:34 | Ben Middlebrooks offensive rebound | |||
10:30 | Robert Jennings shooting foul (Ben Middlebrooks draws the foul) | |||
10:30 | +1 | Ben Middlebrooks makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 18-16 | |
10:30 | +1 | Ben Middlebrooks makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 19-16 | |
10:12 | +2 | Joe Toussaint makes two point jump shot | 19-18 | |
9:43 | DJ Burns Jr. misses two point jump shot | |||
9:41 | Warren Washington defensive rebound | |||
9:37 | Darrion Williams misses three point jump shot | |||
9:35 | DJ Horne defensive rebound | |||
9:25 | DJ Horne misses three point jump shot | |||
9:23 | Warren Washington defensive rebound | |||
9:17 | Jayden Taylor shooting foul (Joe Toussaint draws the foul) | |||
9:17 | +1 | Joe Toussaint makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 19-19 | |
9:17 | +1 | Joe Toussaint makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 19-20 | |
9:03 | +2 | DJ Burns Jr. makes two point layup (Michael O'Connell assists) | 21-20 | |
8:40 | Warren Washington turnover (out of bounds) | |||
8:21 | +2 | DJ Horne makes two point layup | 23-20 | |
8:18 | Red Raiders 30 second timeout | |||
8:18 | TV timeout | |||
7:51 | Mohamed Diarra blocks Darrion Williams's two point jump shot | |||
7:51 | Darrion Williams offensive rebound | |||
7:51 | Jump ball. Darrion Williams vs. Mohamed Diarra (Darrion Williams gains possession) | |||
7:51 | TV timeout | |||
7:47 | +2 | Chance McMillian makes two point jump shot (Darrion Williams assists) | 23-22 | |
7:27 | DJ Horne turnover (traveling) | |||
7:13 | Pop Isaacs misses three point jump shot | |||
7:11 | Mohamed Diarra defensive rebound | |||
6:58 | Casey Morsell misses two point jump shot | |||
6:56 | Warren Washington defensive rebound | |||
6:51 | Casey Morsell personal foul (Pop Isaacs draws the foul) | |||
6:37 | Pop Isaacs misses two point layup | |||
6:35 | Mohamed Diarra defensive rebound | |||
6:20 | DJ Horne misses two point jump shot | |||
6:18 | Pop Isaacs defensive rebound | |||
6:11 | +2 | Joe Toussaint makes two point jump shot | 23-24 | |
5:43 | +2 | DJ Burns Jr. makes two point layup | 25-24 | |
5:29 | +2 | Joe Toussaint makes two point layup | 25-26 | |
5:09 | Warren Washington blocks Mohamed Diarra's two point layup | |||
5:09 | Wolfpack offensive rebound | |||
4:57 | +2 | DJ Burns Jr. makes two point layup | 27-26 | |
4:38 | +2 | Robert Jennings makes two point layup (Joe Toussaint assists) | 27-28 | |
4:16 | DJ Burns Jr. offensive foul (Pop Isaacs draws the foul) | |||
4:16 | DJ Burns Jr. turnover (offensive foul) | |||
3:59 | +2 | Pop Isaacs makes two point layup (Robert Jennings assists) | 27-30 | |
3:33 | Casey Morsell misses two point jump shot | |||
3:31 | Mohamed Diarra offensive rebound | |||
3:28 | +2 | Mohamed Diarra makes two point layup | 29-30 | |
3:14 | Casey Morsell blocks Joe Toussaint's two point layup | |||
3:12 | Ben Middlebrooks defensive rebound | |||
3:11 | TV timeout | |||
3:00 | Joe Toussaint personal foul (Ben Middlebrooks draws the foul) | |||
3:00 | +1 | Ben Middlebrooks makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 30-30 | |
3:00 | +1 | Ben Middlebrooks makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 31-30 | |
2:35 | Pop Isaacs misses two point jump shot | |||
2:33 | DJ Horne defensive rebound | |||
2:09 | Ben Middlebrooks misses two point layup | |||
2:07 | Darrion Williams defensive rebound | |||
1:54 | Chance McMillian misses three point jump shot | |||
1:52 | Mohamed Diarra defensive rebound | |||
1:42 | Ben Middlebrooks misses two point jump shot | |||
1:40 | Robert Jennings defensive rebound | |||
1:24 | Pop Isaacs turnover (bad pass) (Casey Morsell steals) | |||
1:19 | +3 | Casey Morsell makes three point jump shot (DJ Horne assists) | 34-30 | |
0:49 | Joe Toussaint misses three point jump shot | |||
0:47 | Wolfpack defensive rebound | |||
0:32 | +2 | Ben Middlebrooks makes two point layup (Michael O'Connell assists) | 36-30 | |
0:32 | Warren Washington shooting foul (Ben Middlebrooks draws the foul) | |||
0:32 | +1 | Ben Middlebrooks makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 37-30 | |
0:05 | Pop Isaacs misses three point jump shot | |||
0:03 | Joe Toussaint offensive rebound | |||
0:00 | +3 | Darrion Williams makes three point jump shot (Joe Toussaint assists) | 37-33 | |
0:00 | End of period |