By AARON BEARD, AP Basketball Writer
PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas (AP) — Freshman Braxton Beverly scored a season-high 20 points and sparked the decisive late run that helped North Carolina State upset No. 2 Arizona 90-84 in Wednesday’s first round at the Battle 4 Atlantis.
Allerik Freeman scored 24 points to lead the Wolfpack (5-0). But it was Beverly — who missed the first two games in an NCAA eligibility dispute tied to his attending summer courses at Ohio State before coming to N.C. State — who led the way in the critical moments.
Beverly hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 4:19 left, part of a stunning 13-1 run that put the Wolfpack up 86-76 with 1:48 left. He also hit six free throws and assisted on another basket during the spurt.
Allonzo Trier scored 24 of his 27 points after halftime for the Wildcats (3-1), while freshman Deandre Ayton had 27 points and 14 rebounds.
BIG PICTURE
Arizona: Coach Sean Miller’s team is considered a Final Four favorite this season. This one will give him something to use as motivation going forward. While Arizona shot 47 percent and controlled the glass, the Wildcats struggled to contain dribble penetration. The Wildcats also made just 2 of 17 3-point attempts.
N.C. State: This was a huge win for first-year coach Kevin Keatts, who has installed an up-tempo style using a pressure defense. His team kept coming up with answers every time Arizona made a run to push back in control and, remarkably, never trailed by more than two points all game.
UP NEXT
Arizona: The Wildcats will play the Northern Iowa-SMU loser in Thursday’s consolation round.
N.C. State: The Wolfpack will play the Northern Iowa-SMU winner in Thursday’s semifinals.
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