NC State falls to Creighton despite 32-point effort from Terquavion Smith

DENVER — This is the way an NCAA Tournament game should be played.

Both teams wanting it, badly. Both teams playing hard, relentlessly. All effort, all the time.

N.C. State did not beat Creighton on Friday in the opening round of the NCAA South Region at Ball Arena. The sixth-seed Bluejays emerged with a hard-fought 72-63 victory, advancing to the second round to face Baylor, the No. 3 seed.