Louisville beats NC State; on to Elite Eight

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Montrezl Harrell is not ready for the end of his college career at Louisville just yet. Anton Gill helped make sure it continues at least one more game.

Harrell scored 24 points, Gill keyed a late-game surge with seven points off the bench, and Louisville beat North Carolina State 75-65 on Friday night in the East Regional semifinals of the NCAA tournament.

“We don’t want to go home,” said Harrell, a junior who plans to enter the NBA Draft. “We took our bumps and bruises throughout the season, but we came together at the right time. Everything just gelled at the right time.”

Louisville (27-8), the fourth seed in the East and seeking to make its third Final Four in four years, will play seventh-seeded Michigan State in the East final on Sunday. The Spartans beat third-seeded Oklahoma 62-58.

After toppling top-seeded Villanova, North Carolina State (22-14), the eighth seed, saw its postseason run end against a team that refused to quit.

“Late in the game they made some plays there that were the difference,” N.C. State coach Mark Gottfried said. “He (Gill) made a couple of tough shots there. I thought it was that little stretch that gave them the cushion, and it was the difference in the game.”

Guard Terry Rozier had 17 points and a career-high 14 rebounds and freshman guard Quentin Snider added 14 points for the Cardinals.

Louisville coach Rick Pitino has a 12-1 record in Sweet 16 games, 6-1 with the Cardinals.

Trevor Lacey led the Wolfpack with 18 points, while Ralston Turner had 12 and Kyle Washington 11. Anthony “Cat” Barber, the spark of the Wolfpack’s attack, finished with eight points.