Jack Gohlke's reaction to Oakland's March Madness loss to NC State will (probably) break your heart

Kyle Irving

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Jack Gohlke's reaction to Oakland's March Madness loss to NC State will (probably) break your heart image

Cinderella stories are the best part of March Madness and even though Oakland's Jack Gohlke wasn't willing to wear that glass slipper, the shoe fit.

Gohlke quickly became one of the heroes of the NCAA Tournament after exploding for 32 points on 10 3-pointers to lead No. 14 Oakland to an upset win over No. 3 Kentucky in the Round of 64.

The Golden Grizzlies looked to keep their underdog story alive against No. 11 NC State on Saturday. They were one defensive stop and some free throws away from an improbable run to the Sweet 16, but the Wolfpack wouldn't go down easy, forcing overtime after a late second-half push.

NC State kept its momentum rolling, shutting down Gohlke and Oakland in the extra period to come away with a 79-73 win. The Wolfpack made Gohlke work for every single shot attempt, finishing with 22 points but on inefficient 6-of-17 shooting from 3-point range.

The result ended a flash-in-the-pan moment for a March Madness breakout star, as Gohlke's college career came to a close with the loss.

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After the game, Gohlke delivered a heartbreaking answer when asked about Oakland's season coming to an end.

"We really wanted to win today. I wanted to go to Dallas [for the Sweet 16] really bad. All the guys wanted to go to Dallas really bad," Gohlke began.

"But I told them in the locker room, the thing I wanted the most, really, was to see everyone at practice on Monday. That's the thing I'm gonna miss the most, is just seeing my guys every single day."

MORE: Jack Gohlke NBA scouting report

Gohlke made sure to soak up every last minute of his moment, staying after the game to take pictures and sign autographs for fans.

His March Madness run may be over, but the fifth-year senior left an everlasting imprint as an unexpected NCAA Tournament hero in just two games.

Kyle Irving

Kyle Irving Photo

You read that wrong – not Kyrie Irving. From Boston, graduated from the University of New Hampshire. Sixth season as a content producer for NBA.com's Global editions. Covering the NBA Draft has become his annual "dream come true" moment on the job. Irving has a soft spot for pass-first point guards, with Rajon Rondo and Steve Nash being two of his favorite players of all time.