North Carolina

Last-ditch 3 keeps NC State alive; Wolfpack beat UVA 73-65 in OT after bank shot ties it at buzzer

Published

3 months ago

March 16, 2024

Last-ditch 3 keeps NC State alive; Wolfpack beat UVA 73-65 in OT after bank shot ties it at buzzer

WASHINGTON (AP) — Michael O’Connell kept North Carolina State’s NCAA Tournament hopes alive by the slimmest of margins, banking in a wild 3-pointer at the buzzer to force overtime in a 73-65 victory over Virginia in the ACC Tournament semifinals Friday night.

The 10th-seeded Wolfpack (21-14) are one victory from pulling off an epic five-wins-in-five-days run for the ACC’s automatic bid, and if they do it, they’ll remember this escape for a while. With the score 58-55, Isaac Mckneely missed the front end of a 1-and-1 for Virginia. O’Connell rushed the ball up the left sideline and shot from in front of his team’s bench.

The shot banked off the glass, then rolled around the rim and in.

“I had a direct view of it,” N.C. State coach Kevin Keatts said. “As it went up I was like, man, that shot is going in, it’s going in, and then luckily it did and obviously sent us to overtime.”

It was the second straight night a team made a shot at the buzzer against Virginia to force overtime, but on Thursday the Cavaliers were able to beat Boston College.

“They got momentum because we missed the free throw and they were coming down, and once they got down we did not want to foul in the act of shooting,” Virginia coach Tony Bennett said. “We just were worried about that.”

In overtime, it was the D.J. Burns Jr. show. Time and again, N.C. State would give the ball to the 6-foot-9, 275-pound post player, who would slowly back his way down, he and his defender repeatedly bouncing off each other. Burns scored seven points in overtime and 19 in the game on 8-of-11 shooting.

The Wolfpack take on top-seeded North Carolina for the tournament championship on Saturday night.

N.C. State shot 3 of 17 from 3-point range, but O’Connell made the one the Wolfpack needed, and the Cavaliers (23-10) were done in by their poor free throw shooting.

With 1:10 remaining, Virginia had a five-point lead, and after a flagrant foul called on Burns, the Cavaliers got two shots and the ball. Reece Beekman missed both attempts though, and when he was fouled on the ensuing possession, Beekman made only one of two.

Then Ryan Dunn fouled a 3-point shooter, and Casey Morsell made all three free throws to cut the lead to three.

After a defensive stop, N.C. State had a chance to tie, but when Morsell missed a 3-pointer and Mckneely rebounded, Virginia needed one free throw to ice the game. It never came.

___

AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

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North Carolina

How It Happened: Thatcher Hurd Propels LSU Baseball Over North Carolina to Force Game 7

Published

1 hour ago

June 3, 2024

Press Room

How It Happened: Thatcher Hurd Propels LSU Baseball Over North Carolina to Force Game 7

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Right-hander Thatcher Hurd worked a season-long 5.2 innings Sunday, and leftfielder Josh Pearson launched a two-run homer as LSU defeated North Carolina, 8-4, in the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional at Boshamer Stadium.

Sunday’s LSU win forced a rematch between the Tigers and North Carolina at 5 p.m. CT/6 p.m. ET Monday to determine the regional champion. The television network for the championship game will be determined by Monday morning.

The game will be broadcast on affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network, and it can be head on the LSU Sports Mobile App and at www.LSUsports.net.

Earlier on Sunday, LSU posted a 13-6 win over Wofford in an elimination game.

LSU is now 43-22 on the year, while North Carolina, the NCAA Tournament No. 4 National Seed, is 44-14. Wofford ended its season with a 42-20 record.

Hurd (3-4) pitched a season-high 5.2 innings on Sunday, limiting North Carolina to two runs on six hits with no walks and six strikeouts.

“Talent and experience wins,” said LSU coach Jay Johnson. “Our players have talent, they’re experienced. We’ve been in games like that today and have come through and when that happens, our players should draw a lot of confidence from that. I have confidence in them, just like I had confidence in giving the ball to Thatcher tonight.

“North Carolina is an elite team, so you’ve just got keep playing. You just have to keep playing. I have a saying that everything is training for something. We’re trained and ready for tomorrow.”

Relievers Justin Loer, Fidel Ulloa, Kade Anderson and Gavin Guidry followed Hurd and combined to allow two runs on three hits over the final 3.1 innings with seven strikeouts.

North Carolina starter Aidan Haugh (4-2) was charged with the loss, as he surrendered four runs on five hits in 3.0 innings with two walks and two strikeouts.

Pearson’s two-run homer – his eighth dinger of the year — against Haugh in the bottom of the first inning gave the Tigers a 2-0 lead. LSU stretched the margin to 3-0 in the third when shortstop Michael Braswell III provided a two-out RBI single.

The Tar Heels narrowed the gap to 3-1 in the top of the fourth when first baseman Parks Harber doubled and scored on an RBI single by rightfielder Anthony Donofrio.

LSU struck for four runs in the bottom of the fourth as third baseman Tommy White lined an RBI single, second baseman Steven Milam smacked a two-run single, and the final run of the frame scored on Pearson’s double-play groundout with the bases loaded.

The Tigers increased the margin to 8-1 in the fifth on a solo shot by designated hitter Hayden Travinski, his 16th homer of the season.

North Carolina scored a run in the sixth and two in the seventh, and the Tar Heels loaded the bases with one out in the ninth, but Guidry struck out catcher Luke Stevenson and retired third baseman Gavin Gallaher on a fly ball to left field to end the game.

LSU pounded out 21 hits in the win over Wofford, as the Tigers rebounded from a 5-0 first-inning deficit. Pearson was 3-for-4 in the game with a homer, two doubles and four RBI to pace the Tigers’ offense.

LSU reliever Griffin Herring (6-1) earned the win, limiting the Terriers to one run on five hits in 6.1 innings with no walks and seven strikeouts.

The Updated Chapel Hill Regional Bracket:

LSU defeated North Carolina in Game 6 to force Monday’s Game 7. /

Other LSU News:

Staying Alive: LSU Defeats North Carolina 8-4 to Remain Alive in Chapel Hill

The Recap: LSU Takes Down Wofford in Pivotal Elimination Game

The Bracket: The Updated Chapel Hill Regional Bracket

Join the Community:

Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and LSU Country: @LSUCountry_FN for all coverage surrounding the LSU program.

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North Carolina

Best photos from LSU baseball's win over North Carolina in regional final

Published

8 hours ago

June 3, 2024

Press Room

Best photos from LSU baseball's win over North Carolina in regional final

LSU baseball will be playing for a spot in the super regionals on Monday.

After losing to North Carolina on Saturday in the winners’ bracket, the Tigers went 2-0 on Sunday, first beating Wofford after overcoming a 5-0 deficit in the first. In Game 2, the regional final opener against North Carolina, it was coach Jay Johnson’s team that got off to a hot start.

LSU led 3-0 after three innings and took full control with a four-spot in the fourth inning. It ultimately won 8-4, forcing a decisive regional Game 7 on Monday. If the Tigers win, they’ll host a super regional in Alex Box Stadium.

As we await Monday evening’s Game 3, here are the best photos from Sunday night’s win.