Ben Middlebrooks scored a career-high 21 points and 11th-seeded North Carolina State surged past sixth-seeded Texas Tech 80-67 on Thursday night in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Posted March 22, 2024 1:02 a.m. EDT
By Will Graves, AP Sports writer
PITTSBURGH Ben Middlebrooks scored a career-high 21 points and 11th-seeded North Carolina State surged past sixth-seeded Texas Tech 80-67 on Thursday night in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Wolfpack (23-14), who won five games in five days in the ACC Tournament, won their first March Madness game in nine years behind Middlebrooks’ boost off the bench and another bruising performance by center DJ Burns Jr.
The 6-foot-9, 275-pound Burns finished with 16 points. Mo Diarra had 17 points and 12 rebounds for N.C. State, and DJ Horne also scored 16.
The Wolfpack will face 14th-seeded Oakland on Saturday, ensuring a double-digit seed will advance to the South Region semifinals.
