Survive and advance: NC State fans celebrate men and women’s epic tournament runs
CHANTAL ALLAM, March 31, 2024
The Cinderella fairy tale continues for N.C. State.
Extending a nine-game winning streak, Wolfpack fans tasted victory yet again Sunday when No. 11 seed N.C. State men’s basketball beat rival No. 4 Duke, 76-64.
Just a few hours earlier, N.C. State’s women’s team upset No. 1 Texas, 76-66 to make the Final Four.
Sunday’s historic wins mark N.C. State men’s first Final Four appearance since 1983 — when the Wolfpack took home the NCAA championship — and N.C. State women’s second Final Four appearance in program history. The first was in 1998.
It’s also the first time in school history that both men’s and women’s teams advanced to the Final Four in the same year.
N.C. State fans who had gathered at Players’ Retreat, a popular bar near campus, flooded to the nearby Memorial Belltower after the game to revel with hundreds of fans. The Belltower glowed in N.C. State red lights.
“No one thought they could do it, and they’re here,” said N.C. State alum Laura Black, who watched back-to-back games at Players’ Retreat.
She remembers the first time N.C. State reached the Final Four in 1983. She was a junior at the time. She was aglow with hometown pride that she got to witness them do it again.
“They proved everyone wrong,” she said.
Police blocked off roads as fans rushed the street after the game, exchanging chants of “Wolf” and “Pack.”
Coy Terrell, 20, a sophomore at N.C. State, climbed the steps of the Belltower carrying a large boombox blasting DJ Khaled’s “All I Do Is Win.”
“This is a once-in-a-life experience,” he said, as he led the crowd in song to the lyrics. “This means everything.”
Around 2 p.m., fans were already clambering to find seats at Players’ Retreat. They gathered around 30 TVs mounted in the restaurant and bar area, including two 110-inch projector screens, to watch the games.
Many red-clad fans spilled out into the street and settled in for hours, day-drinking on the outside patio under picture-perfect 81-degree blue skies.
“It’s an epic celebration,” said Cassondra Stoter, 20, a junior at N.C. State, who had been staked outside for hours.
For the last few weekends, Players’ Retreat has been her go-to hangout to watch the games.
She stormed the Belltower last Friday night when the Wolfpack defeated Marquette 67-58, and the women defeated Stanford 77-67.
She had planned to do the same Sunday night, win or lose. And for a time, the anxiety was apparent on Wolfpack fans’ faces, as Duke led at halftime, 27-21 and it seemed like N.C. State’s dream was fading. But in the second half, D.J. Burns, DJ Horne and the rest of the Wolfpack found their footing and saw a scoring surge to the buzzer.
“It’s the first time in so many years where we’ve made it to this spot. It’s a good North Carolina rivalry.”
Business booming
Since the tournament kicked off, fans have been gathering in bars and restaurants near campus to watch the team’s epic run.
It’s been a boon for the local economy, said Players’ Retreat owner Gus Gusler.
The restaurant posted record sales on March 16, a Saturday night, when NC State men notched an 84-76 win over North Carolina to claim the ACC tournament title and earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
Then, the following Saturday, they had the highest-grossing night in the bar’s 73-year history, he said.
The restaurant has a 150-person capacity inside, and it was packed, from opening to closing.
“We ran 1,000 people in the restaurant,” he said. “We flipped the tables four or five times.”
The surge is been “much needed,” he added. “We’ve all been struggling to get back. It’s a blessing for everybody.”
