NC State’s Cinderella story dances on to Final Four. Plus, Iowa seeks redemption against defending champ LSU
The Wolfpack dances on after a strong second half
No. 11 NC State defeated No. 4 Duke, 76-64, after a strong second half. The Wolfpack trailed at halftime but then outscored the Blue Devils 37-17. DJ Burns Jr. scored 29 points, followed by DJ Horne who added 20.
NC State has had an undefeated run since the regular season ended, the win against the Blue Devils being their ninth straight. The Wolfpack will have its toughest challenge yet, facing No. 1 Purdue and a seemingly unstoppable Zach Edey once they arrive in Phoenix for the Final Four.
Edey had a career day on Sunday with 40 points and 16 rebounds to give the Boilermakers a highly-sought Final Four appearance over the Tennessee Vols. The win was personal for Edey, who discussed it afterwards, saying that several coaches overlooked him in recruiting, including Tennessee’s Rick Barnes.
South Carolina moves one step closer to undefeated national champions
The South Carolina Gamecocks are one of the last four teams standing for the fourth year in a row, but this time they’ve done it without taking a single loss. Sunday, the Gamecocks defeated No. 3 Oregon, 70-58. Three players scored in double digits: Kamilla Cardoso, Tessa Johnson and Bree Hall.
USC will face No. 3 NC State in Cleveland, and it won’t be as easy as it may sound. The Wolfpack, without the Cinderella story of their male counterparts, already defeated one No. 1 seed, Texas on Sunday in Portland. The two will face off on Friday evening.
The highly anticipated rematch: Iowa’s Caitlin Clark vs. LSU’s Angel Reese
In a women’s tournament that has already broken viewing records, today should top it all. It’s probably the most anticipated matchup currently in women’s basketball: the Iowa Hawkeyes, and star Caitlin Clark, against the LSU Tigers and ‘Bayou Barbie’ Angel Reese. The last time these two teams met was in the 2023 national championship, where the Tigers came out on top, 102-85. That matchup garnered nearly 10 million views, and that was before Clark set the all-time NCAA scoring record for a single season, and a bunch of other records this season.
But, take it from them, there’s no animosity between the two, they’re just competitive on the court and we all get the benefit from it.
Tip off is at 7:15 p.m. ET, live on ESPN from Albany, New York.
