CBB Fans Upset as Oakland's Cinderella Run Ends with NC State Loss in March Madness
March 24, 2024
It was fun while it lasted.
Just two days after No. 14 seed Oakland shocked the world with an upset victory over No. 3 seed Kentucky, the Golden Grizzlies had a chance to knock down another power conference opponent in the second round.
Oakland held a lead within the final minute and forced overtime against ACC Champion-NC State, but a late charge in overtime from the Wolfpack helped it claim a 79-73 victory.
NCAA March Madness @MarchMadnessMBBNC STATE WINS IT IN OT 🐺<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MarchMadness?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MarchMadness</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PackMensBball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PackMensBball</a> <a href="https://t.co/2VdPKr6HnH">pic.twitter.com/2VdPKr6HnH</a>
D.J. Burns Jr. led the Wolfpack in scoring with 24 points, while also adding 11 rebounds and four assists. Michael O'Connell had 12 points while D.J. Horne, Mohamed Diarra and Casey Morsell each had 11 points.
Trey Townsend led Oakland with 30 points and 13 rebounds, while Jack Gohlke had 22 points and eight rebounds off the bench. This is the end of the road for the Golden Grizzlies, who finish the season 24-12.
While many were upset that Oakland's tournament tenure came to an end, fans took to social media to express appreciation for Oakland's run.
Fredi The PizzaMan 313 @FrediThePizzamnOakland University had more wins than Michigan basketball, Detroit Pistons basketball, University of Detroit basketball combined. Great year by Greg Kampe and just a few minutes from the sweet 16 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gohlke?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gohlke</a>
Fans also praised NC State for its strong performance and wished the team luck going forward.
The Wolfpack advance to face the winner of Colorado and Marquette in the Sweet 16.
