Wolfpack fans travel to Pittsburgh for NCAA Tournament: 'It's been a dream'

PITTSBURGH (WTVD) -- NC State's opening-round match-up with Texas Tech didn't tip off until 10:12 PM Thursday night, a result of the prior game running late. By the time the game ended, it was after midnight.

It would take almost another hour for the team to complete post-game media obligations, board the team bus, and make the roughly half-mile trek back to their hotel in downtown Pittsburgh.

When they arrived, Wolfpack fans were in the lobby, delivering a standing ovation.

"It's been a dream. It really has just been a good, good dream of feeling like riding the wave and we just don't want to get off of it," said Jim Capps, an NC State alum who attended his first NCAA Tournament game with his wife Debbie.

The contingent of Wolfpack faithful made their roars heard throughout much of the night, even more so in the second half as the 11th-seeded Wolfpack began to pull away, going on a 15-4 run over a four-minute, 36-second stretch to turn a three-point lead into a fourteen-point cushion.

The upset was NC State's sixth straight win, a streak which began in the opening round of the ACC Tournament.

"It just seems like everybody's locked in and everybody's doing everything they can to get us to the winner's circle," said Mark Vestal, an NC State alum.

NC State became the first team in ACC history to win the conference as a double-digit seed, winning five games in five days.

"Feeling of relief. We were beginning to wonder if we're ever going to see it again. It's awesome to be able to experience it," said Debbie Capps.

This recent run has included teamwide contributions, with five different Wolfpack players leading the team in scoring over six nights. On Thursday, it was Ben Middlebrooks, who scored a season-high 21 points off the bench.

"That's a good thing because it's hard to focus on one guy," said NC State head coach Kevin Keatts.