NC State’s March Madness magic — and, really, magic that dates back to the ACC Tournament run it needed to secure a postseason berth in the first place — remained intact to spark over rival Duke in the Elite Eight.
So for the first time since 1983, when Jim Valvano was their head coach and they last won the national championship, the Wolfpack are heading to the Final Four after a 76-64 win at Americal Airline Center.
North Carolina State Wolfpack forward DJ Burns Jr. (30) reacts in the second half against the Duke Blue Devils on Sunday. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con 
North Carolina State’s Michael O’Connell, left, reacts with DJ Horne (0) after scoring a 3-pointer on Sunday. AP Explore More
NC State, a No. 11 seed and the Cinderella that kept winning in this NCAA Tournament, knocked off No. 4 Duke — which it defeated in the ACC quarterfinals earlier this month, too — on Sunday to secure a matchup with No. 1-seed Purdue in Phoenix on Saturday.
DJ Burns Jr. topped 20 points for the Wolfpack, which trailed by six at halftime but built a double-digit lead in the second half against the Blue Devils.
No. 1 UConn and No. 4 Alabama will meet in the other Final Four game.
