Oakland's Magical Run Ends in Overtime

The Oakland Golden Grizzlies' Cinderella run in the NCAA Tournament came to an end on Saturday night, as they fell to the NC State Wolfpack 79-73 in overtime in the second round of the tournament.

The 14-seed Golden Grizzlies had pulled off a major upset in the first round, knocking off 3-seed Kentucky 80-76. However, they were unable to replicate that magic against the 11-seed Wolfpack.

NC State's Balanced Scoring Attack

NC State was led by a balanced scoring attack, with six players scoring in double figures. DJ Burns Jr. led the way with 24 points and 11 rebounds, while Mohamed Diarra, DJ Horne, and Casey Morsell each added 11 points.

Oakland was led by Trey Townsend's 30 points and 13 rebounds, while Jack Gohlke added 22 points.

A Slow Start for Oakland

Oakland got off to a slow start in the game, missing seven of their first eight shots. NC State took advantage of the Golden Grizzlies' cold shooting, building a 9-2 lead.

Oakland eventually settled down and began to make shots, but they were never able to take the lead in the first half. NC State went into halftime with a 32-29 lead.

Oakland's Rally in the Second Half

Oakland came out strong in the second half, and they eventually tied the game at 42-42 with just over 12 minutes remaining.

The game was back-and-forth for the rest of the second half, and it was tied 66-66 at the end of regulation.

Overtime

NC State scored the first four points of overtime, and they never looked back. Oakland was unable to get anything going offensively in overtime, and they fell 79-73.

The End of a Magical Run

Oakland's run to the second round of the NCAA Tournament was a magical one. They knocked off a 3-seed in the first round, and they came within seconds of beating an 11-seed in the second round.

The Golden Grizzlies have nothing to be ashamed of. They played hard and they represented their school with pride. Their run to the second round of the NCAA Tournament will be remembered for years to come.

Key Stats

• NC State shot 46.3% from the field, while Oakland shot 38.6%.
• NC State outrebounded Oakland 40-30.
• Oakland committed 14 turnovers, while NC State committed only 5.

Quotable

• Oakland coach Greg Kampe: "It's hard because it's over."
• NC State coach Kevin Keatts: "I'm proud of our guys. They showed a lot of heart and determination tonight."
• Oakland guard Trey Townsend: "We did everything we could. It just didn’t bounce our way."