N.C.A.A. Tournament - Wolfpack Prove They Belong - NYTimes.com COLUMBUS, Ohio - After North Carolina State narrowly sneaked into the N.C.A.A. tournament, Coach Mark Gottfried gathered his players and urged them not to be happy with just being a part of the bracket. The theme of the meeting was simply to stay hungry. Matt Sullivan/Reuters North Carolina State's C.J. Leslie attempted a shot on Friday. And the 11th-seeded Wolfpack's 79-65 victory over No. 6 San Diego State in the Midwest Region on Friday ensured they would stay that way a little longer. North Carolina State will face the winner of the game between No. 14 Belmont on Sunday. Forward Richard Howell led North Carolina State's four double-figures scorers with 22 points. The meeting of two long, athletic teams made for an entertaining matchup, particularly on the inside. The Wolfpack put on an impressive display with their talented front-court tandem of Howell and the star forward C. J. Leslie, who had 15 points. North Carolina State outscored San Diego State, 38-18, in the paint. Capitalizing on the Aztecs" soft interior, Howell was a particularly difficult matchup for San Diego State's Garrett Green. The 6-foot-8 Howell deftly outmaneuvered the 6-11 Green around the basket throughout the game. Howell made 10 of 12 field-goal attempts. The Wolfpack's momentum changed when Howell went to the bench after he picked up his fourth foul with 9 minutes 45 seconds left. But while San Diego State closed to 57-54 with Howell sidelined, North Carolina State was able to pull away down the stretch. Guard Jamaal Franklin led San Diego State with 23 points and added 8 rebounds. Fans of the Wolfpack might have chewed their fingernails to raw last Sunday while waiting to see whether North Carolina State would make the field of 68. North Carolina State had only one win against teams in the top 50 of the Ratings Percentage Index in the regular season. But the Wolfpack won four of their final five games, including a solid showing in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament. In a nod to their improved play of late, President Obama picked them to make the Round of 16. And after its impressive showing Friday, North Carolina State has earned another opportunity to show that it was not simply content with just making the N.C.A.A. tournament.