NC State fans soak up more March magic as men's and women's teams reach Elite Eight
Posted March 29, 2024 4:46 p.m. EDT
Updated March 30, 2024 6:04 p.m. EDT
Raleigh, N.C. — NC State fans find themselves at the center of a Cinderella story and darlings of the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
The Wolfpack defeated Marquette 67-58 at American Airlines Center in Dallas as a historical run continued.
The Wolfpack women also won Friday night, defeating Stanford 77-67 to reach the Elite Eight. Recent big-victory celebrations have seen fans and students spill out onto Hillsborough Street to gather at the university's Memorial Belltower.
That's exactly what happened again on Friday night as exuberant students went to the belltower, which was tinted red.
On Friday at the Players' Retreat near State's campus, Wolfpack fans gathered to watch the games. Fans were already piling in to try and find seats around 4 p.m.
The 36 televisions in the restaurant and bar area were tuned to both games as fans took in all the ups and downs of March Madness.
The unexpected run has business incentives for local merchants. Players' Retreat owners told WRAL News the bar broke its sales record for a night during the ACC championship game on March 16.
"A lot of us felt like we were having issues and now with this seven-game winning streak maybe if there is a curse it’s done," said Players' Retreat owner Gus Gusler. "We can only hope."
The win against Marquette put State in the Elite Eight for the first time since 1986.
