NC State overcomes Oakland in overtime to advance to March Madness
The 14-seed Golden Grizzlies lost 79-73 in overtime against 11-seed N.C. State at PPG Paints Arena in the NCAA tournament’s second round. This happened 48 hours after they defeated 3rd-seed Kentucky and became the tournament favorite.
“Not the same as a few nights ago,” remarked OU coach Greg Kampe. “It’s hard because it’s over.”
Jack Gohlke and Trey Townsend dominated the second half. Horizon League Player of the Year Townsend scored 30 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Gohlke scored 22 points and grabbed eight on six of 17 3-pointers.
However, DJ Burns’ 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists were too much. Four teammates scored in double figures: Michael O’Connell 12, Mohamed Diarra 11, DJ Horne 11, and Casey Morsell 11.
Townsend is called Burns. “That guy was a burden down there.” “We did all that we could.” Not bouncing our way.
Bonus basketball
The extra period began with a 66-66 tie. Townsend started the scoring with two free throws, but Burns scored on a finger-roll layup.
Oakland led 69–68 after Townsend’s two free throws. However, Burns’ offensive rebound on a failed short corner 3-pointer gave N.C. State a lead it wouldn’t relinquish.
“I don’t think that ball even got 10-feet-2 in the air,” he remarked. “It goes right through the hoop and lands on the big man, who makes the layup.” Our position in front of the big guy limited his comeback to a ball that hit the hoop and fell straight down. “Those are the game’s bounces.”
After DQ Cole mispassed to Townsend, DJ Horne scored a mid-range jumper with 1:33 left to make it 3-0. Blake Lampman’s free throw knotted it at two. Jayden Taylor hit a tremendous three-pointer from the right corner with 1:13 left to lead by five.
Burns’ four straight free throws with 17 seconds left put his team ahead 79–70. Oakland pulled within six when Cole blocked a 3-point shot with 13 seconds left. Gohlke missed his third straight 3-pointer to stop Oakland’s surge after the Grizzlies forced a turnover.
At the late game, “We’ve done a great job all season, but today we just didn’t do as well,” Gohlke stated. “Give N.C. State credit, they were a really good defensive team today and disrupted some of the things we wanted to do, especially on the last possession (of overtime).”
Short discrepancies matter in the last few minutes of the game. We won the Kentucky game because we played well. We tried our hardest today, but N.C. State made the right plays. Last few minutes (we thought): Oakland trailed after 37 minutes. Gohlke scooped up the ball on the left with less than 4 minutes left. The defender fell after his pump fake, and he hit his sixth 3-pointer of the game without thinking.
Next, Townsend converted a three-point play to give Oakland its first lead, 63-61.
On a scooping lefty layup, N.C. State’s Michael O’Connell fouled. He converted the free throw with 55.6 seconds left to make it 2-0. After 15 seconds, they caught Gohlke without the ball. He tied the game with two free throws with 41.7 seconds left.
Oakland tried one last shot after N.C. State missed
“The ball was getting to Townsend, facing the basket at the left elbow,” she stated. “He was supposed to rip and drive, and he’d either be the hero, go to the free throw line, or they wouldn’t call it; one of those three things was going to happen.” Our entry was too slow. Arriving, they declined the admission pass. I did that. Why? We had 17 seconds. We wanted to wait till 10 or 12, but 17 would have been OK. It was wrong.
Oakland lost the ball with 1.7 seconds left, and the Wolfpack missed a halfcourt throw.
Initial punch
Like Thursday night, the Golden Grizzlies started slowly. Seven of their first eight shots were missed.
Horne warmed up quickly. He gave the Wolfpack their first seven points with a transition layup, a left-wing 3-pointer, and a floater. Burns scored a low lefty hook to put the Wolfpack up 9-2.
Chris Conway scored a put-back slam before Gohlke’s first 3-pointer from the right wing pulled OU within two. He received a standing ovation upon checking in.
“I know in my life I’ve never put a sub in and seen a place go nuts three minutes into a game,” he remarked. “How many people can fit here? About 18,000?” He enteredthe game three minutes into the game to the largest cheer of the night. He made it after catching the ball.
He had one shot in the first 12 minutes. N.C. State changed guards every minute, from Morsell to O’Connell to Taylor, who stood in front of Gohlke as he went between screens. His second shot from beyond the arc missed. Taylor scored to make it 26–17 after the Wolfpack switched directions in transition. Red-clad fans stood up.
Lampman hit two 3-pointers to keep OU within striking distance.
Progress continued in Oakland. Conway stemmed the flow with a turnaround bucket, allowing Gohlke to continue. A pump fake gave him a clear view of the key’s top and a 3-pointer. After a Diarra scooping layup, Gohlke nailed another right-wing curl 3-pointer to get Oakland within three, 28-25.
N.C. State led 32-29 at halftime after making only two of their previous 12 field goals. But the Wolfpack led 20–12 in paint points.
Two-man show: Oakland attempted four times to pass to Townsend to start the second half. Townsend hit two free throws and a left-block righty hook on the next possession. He threw the ball on the deck and beat Burns for a layup to pull Oakland within 36-34.
Kampe: “We changed things so we could catch the ball off a rebound or if they score and fly it off the floor.” Our second half play improved, and we got the ball to Trey.
Gohlke’s wide 3-pointer denied the foul call OU wanted after Burns handed the ball over. OU would have taken its first lead. Burns responded with a twisting layup, and Morsell hit a transition 3-pointer. That restored N.C. State’s seven-point lead.
Townsend responded with a three-point play before Gohlke made his way back. Lampman grabbed the ball after the Grizzlies forced a turnover. He then gave it to Gohlke, who shot long from one step inside the logo.
OU tied 42–42 for the first time since the game went silent when Townsend converted a short layup. Kampe remarked, “Trey Townsend is pro.” “He proved it tonight.”
Burns left a triple-team to find Morsell on the right side. N.C. State led 51-45 at halftime after Morsell and O’Connell sank 3-pointers from the same area.
Townsend’s left-wing 3-pointer and hook jumper around Burns’ layup brought OU within three. Then, Diarra hit a corner shot in front of his bench, and Gohlke made another 3-pointer despite fouling. OU was within two after the free throw with six minutes left.
A left-wing three-pointer with less than two seconds left on the shot clock put N.C. State ahead by five points after a timeout. Before the last media break, Townsend tied the game at 59-57 with a three-pointer from the same spot.
