The Wolfpack stood tall over another foe. On Friday, NC State basketball pulled off an upset over Marquette basketball to book their ticket to the Elite Eight. (per ESPN and NCAA March Madness).

Led by guards DJ Horne and Casey Morsell, NC State took an early lead and held off Marquette for the rest of the game to claim the 67-58 victory.

In a tournament where upsets seem to be the norm, NC State just added to the narrative. By taking down a highly-ranked team, the Wolfpack garnered the attention of March Madness fans all over the country.

Of course, a variety of reactions ensued, and as expected, no discussion on NC State would be complete without the mention of big man DJ Burns Jr.

Others were just impressed about how an 11th-seeded team like NC State overcame adversity to end up where they are now.

NC State basketball stuns Marquette

North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Breon Pass (10) celebrates with guard DJ Horne (0) during the second half in the semifinals of the South Regional of the 2024 NCAA Tournament against the Marquette Golden Eagles at American Airlines Center.
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Entering Friday's clash, NC State already drew a bit of attention. They were fresh off a win against Oakland basketball, the team that made headlines after eliminating Kentucky in the opening round. Still, not a lot of people expected the Wolfpack to make it past Marquette.

A Big East powerhouse, Marquette's 25-9 (14-6) regular-season record was the second-best in the entire conference (just behind UConn). The Golden Eagles were pictured by many to clash with either Duke or Houston in the Elite Eight, but NC State decided they'd play spoiler.

After taking the lead five minutes in, the Wolfpack never relinquished their advantage the entire game. They even led by as much as 16 points early in the second half. Marquette trimmed the lead down to six with under three minutes left, but a Casey Morsell jumper and a Michael O'Connell three pushed the lead up back to 11. Free throws in the final minute eventually sealed the deal for NC State.

DJ Horne's 19 points and five rebounds led the way while Morsell added 15 points for the Wolfpack.

RECOMMENDED (Article Continues Below)
March Madness, NBA Draft, Kyle Filipowski, Johnny Furphy, and Pelle Larsson

Liam Hanley ·

NBA Draft, Zach Edey, KJ Simpson, and N'Faly Dante

Liam Hanley ·

Purdue basketball star Zach Edey next to former player Rasheed Wallace in front of the Mackey Complex.

Zachary Weinberger ·

As for Marquette, outside shooting, or rather the lack of it, was the main culprit for their loss. The Golden Eagles shot just 4-of-31 (12.9%) from three-point range.

Up next: NC State vs. Duke

North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Michael O'Connell (12) huddles with teammates during the second half in the semifinals of the South Regional of the 2024 NCAA Tournament against the Marquette Golden Eagles at American Airlines Center
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

As the only remaining team that's seeded outside the top 10, NC State will have to continue playing against heavyweights for a chance at bringing back what last happened in 1983: A National Championship. Come Sunday, the team will be facing off against Kyle Filipowski and Duke basketball.

The fourth-seeded Blue Devils are coming off a victory against top-seeded Houston basketball so NC State has to expect nothing less than a grueling game. And unlike what happened to Marquette on Friday, Duke is expected to make their three-pointers, as they've done the whole year. The Blue Devils are an outside-shooting team that currently averages 37.7% from downtown.

Nevertheless, NC State has shown that they can compete with the favorites. And their players have commendable numbers as well. DJ Horne and Michael O'Connell shoot 41.1% and 37.3% from three (respectively). Big man DJ Burns has a 52.7% field goal percentage. On the defensive side, Horne manages 1.3 steals a game.

Whatever happens on Sunday, one thing's for sure: With how far the Wolfpack has come, they'll surely put in the effort to send shockwaves all over the college basketball world once again.