GREENSBORO — Across the board, Florida State had more size and speed than N.C. State in the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament Friday. Like the rest of this tournament, logic took a backseat to emotion and will.

Despite the talent gap, there was the 11th-seeded Wolfpack, late Friday night, still alive and celebrating a spot in the unlikeliest final four grouping in the tournament's 57-year history after a 58-52 win over No. 3 seed Florida State.

Freshman Scott Wood buried six 3-pointers (18 points) while feisty guard Javier Gonzalez, playing on an injured foot, sliced through FSU's menacing frontline defense for 13 points to join 12th-seeded Miami and seventh-seeded Georgia Tech in today's semifinals.

"It seems like the lower-seeded teams have wanted it more, and that's the way it should be," Wood said.

Only No. 1 Duke was expected to be here today. The upside-down semifinals were complete by the time the clock hit 11:49 p.m. at the Greensboro Coliseum. The Wolfpack will try to reach the championship game for the first time since 2007 with a win over Georgia Tech today and an even bigger prize at stake Sunday.

N.C. State (19-14) is two wins away from a return to the NCAA tournament. The Wolfpack has already picked up two improbable wins in Greensboro over two teams, including Clemson on Thursday, likely in the NCAA field of 65.

"We're shooting for the stars," senior forward Dennis Horner said. "We want to play in the NCAA tournament."

With another defensive effort like Friday's, holding FSU to 38.5 percent shooting from the floor and 3-of-18 from 3-point range, the Pack will have a puncher's chance. The Noles, finalists in the tournament last year in Atlanta, tried to offset Wood's shooting -- the gangly freshman lit them up for a second time this season -- but couldn't break the Pack, which has won five of six since starting 3-10 in the ACC.

"If you stay together, you're going to get good play," said Wolfpack coach Sidney Lowe, who improved to 5-3 in the ACC tournament.

Gonzalez's steal with 2:10 left, and subsequent feed to Tracy Smith (13 points) for an easy dunk, put the Pack up 54-48. Smith followed with a shot clock-beating rainbow, and then Gonzalez's free throws in the final minute gave the Noles an early rest for the NCAA tournament.

"I was just trying to make the right plays," said Gonzalez, who finished with six assists and five steals.

The right play was often finding Wood, who carried the Pack with three 3s in each half. Wood's back-to-back 3s, the second at 13:37 in the second half, gave the Pack a 46-37 lead.

It's not the first time Wood has mangled FSU's ACC-leading defense. He hit eight 3s and scored a season-best 31 points in an 88-81 win on Jan. 12 in Tallahassee. That means in two games against FSU, which leads the ACC in scoring defense and field-goal percentage defense, Wood has 13 3-pointers. In the other 16 ACC games this season, he has hit 22 3s.

"If you hit a couple of shots early and get confidence, it doesn't matter who you're playing against," Wood said.

Wood did have help, especially as he cooled in the final 10 minutes. Gonzalez, who sprained his right foot in the first half of Thursday's upset of Clemson, dribbled through, around and into the teeth of FSU's defense. After scoring two points in the first half, he had 11 in the second and five assists.

Gonzalez said his strategy was to go right at FSU center Solomon Alabi.

"His feet are kind of slow, so I wanted to attack him," Gonzalez said.

A 6-foot point guard with a bad wheel taking on a 7-1 shot-blocking machine? Makes no sense. Neither does this tournament.

N.C. State 58, Florida State 52

Percentages: FG .442, FT .650. Three-point goals: 7-15, .467 (Wood 6-10, Degand 1-1, Horner 0-1, Williams 0-3). Team rebounds: 2. Blocked shots: 1 (Horner). Turnovers: 16 (Degand 4, Howell 2, Mays 2, Gonzalez 2, Horner 2, Williams, Wood, T.Smith, Thomas). Steals: 10 (Gonzalez 5, Wood 2, Vandenberg, Horner, T.Smith). Technical Fouls: None.

Percentages: FG .385, FT .529. Three-point goals: 3-18, .167 (Dulkys 2-8, Loucks 1-2, Snaer 0-1, Gibson 0-1, Singleton 0-3, Kitchen 0-3). Team rebounds: 3. Blocked shots: 7 (Alabi 4, Gibson 2, Singleton). Turnovers: 20 (Reid 5, Snaer 4, Alabi 2, Kitchen 2, Gibson 2, Singleton 2, Loucks, Jordan, Dulkys). Steals: 9 (Alabi 3, Singleton 2, Kitchen 2, Snaer, Gibson). Technical Fouls: None.

Att.-23,318. Officials-Mike Wood, Ray Natili, Brian Dorsey.

jp.giglio@newsobserver.com or 919-829-8938