Wolfpack Dethrone Defending Champs In OT
Published: Mar 9, 2007
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TAMPA - This year's Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament had a new locale, and N.C. State made sure it will have a new champion as well.
The 10th-seeded Wolfpack knocked off two-time defending tournament champion and 21st-ranked Duke 85-80 in overtime Thursday night at the Forum.
Freshman forward Brandon Costner had 30 points, the second-most by an N.C. State freshman, and guard Engin Atsur added 21 points, all coming after halftime for the Wolfpack (16-14), who play second-seeded Virginia tonight at 7.
Even though the seventh-seeded Blue Devils were the higher seed, N.C. State forward Gavin Grant didn't consider the win an upset.
"I personally don't think Duke is better than us, not on a talent level," Grant said. "We were the underdogs, the lower seeds coming in, but I don't think it's the same Duke team."
Duke's loss marked the first time in the tournament's 54-year history the Blue Devils (22-10) did not reach the quarterfinals. Duke had won seven of the last eight ACC Tournaments and was 23-1 in its last 24 tournament games. The Blue Devils also hadn't lost an ACC Tournament opener since 1997 (also to N.C. State).
"We have not played well defensively for two weeks," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "We have to play defense. We've given up almost 90 points a game the last three games [all losses].
"We're just not going to win ballgames unless we play defense."
N.C. State had a chance to win the game in regulation, but missed four shots in the final 10 seconds.
Costner had a conventional 3-point play 38 seconds into overtime, giving N.C. State the lead for good.
"The 3-point play gave us a lot of energy and confidence going into overtime," Costner said.
The Blue Devils, who were led by Greg Paulus' 18 points, pulled within one on three occasions in overtime, but each time the Wolfpack answered.
Remarkably, N.C. State scored on its first eight possessions of overtime.
"The history of Duke and the tradition they have of winning in the tournament, it's great to win," said N.C. State center Ben McCauley, who had 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Duke, who placed five players in double figures, played without freshman Gerald Henderson, who served a mandatory one-game suspension for a flagrant foul that broke Tyler Hansbrough's nose during the closing seconds of a loss to North Carolina on Sunday.
The Wolfpack had lost 20 of the past 22 meetings against Duke before Thursday's stunner.
"We executed our offense extremely well, we didn't pre-determine who was going to get the shot," N.C. State coach Sidney Lowe said.
The win also avenged a 79-56 loss to Duke in Raleigh, N.C., on Jan. 20.
"All I've been saying all day is 'revenge is sweet,' sophomore guard Courtney Wells said. "That's all I've been stressing and saying all night, all morning - even in my sleep. I just wanted to get them back."
Reporter Brett McMurphy can be reached at (813) 259-7928 or bmcmurphy@tampatrib.com.
