North Carolina State vs. Wake Forest

Just a few weeks ago, Wake Forest looked like a team hoping for a merciful end to a miserable season. Now the Demon Deacons are savoring every moment in an unexpected ride into the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament semifinals.

Eric Williams scored 20 points to lead Wake Forest past No. 25 North Carolina State 82-71 Friday's quarterfinals, giving the Demon Deacons their second upset of the Wolfpack in a week and earning their first trip to the semifinals in three years.

Senior Chris Ellis added a career-best 15 points for 12th-seeded Wake Forest (17-15), which faces third-ranked Duke on Saturday. The Demon Deacons are the first last-seeded team to win two games in the tournament since Virginia in 1977.

The Demon Deacons reached the quarterfinals with a 78-66 win against No. 5 seed Florida State, beating a team trying to shore up its NCAA prospects. Now, with another win against the suddenly reeling Wolfpack (21-9), they're playing their best basketball and brimming with a nothing-to-lose confidence after a disastrous regular season.

"We're excited," said Kyle Visser, who had 10 rebounds as part of a strong effort by a typically inconsistent supporting cast. "We have hope now. We were holding on to very little hope. That's a big thing for us. We see we can play as well as we can."

Wake Forest was ranked 18th in the preseason and picked to finish third in the ACC. But the Demon Deacons struggled after losing All-American point guard Chris Paul to the NBA, and seemed to have little depth behind all-league performers Williams and Justin Gray.

Williams and Gray each had their usual strong outings Friday against the tournament's fourth seed. Williams went 8-for-13 from the floor with eight rebounds, while Gray finished with 19 points and a career-best 10 assists, directing an offense that shot 53 percent.