The Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY - Richard Midgley, who grew up in Burgess Hill, England, swished a 3-pointer with 3.9 seconds left in overtime Thursday, sending California to a 76-74 first-round win over North Carolina State.

The Wolfpack had just taken a 74-73 lead on Scooter Sherrill's 3-pointer with 12.8 seconds left when Midgley took a pass from Joe Shipp and buried it.

"Guys used to pick on me (in England) because I played basketball, not soccer," said Midgley, who played two years of high school basketball in California. "But I picked the right sport."

Ninth-seeded North Carolina State had a chance to win, but Sherrill missed from the top of the key as time expired.

California (22-8), a No. 8 seed, advanced to the second round for the second straight year and will play No. 1 seed Oklahoma on Saturday.

Midgley could have been remembered for two potential game-winning layups that were blocked in the final minute of regulation, when he dared drive the lane.

"I wasn't worried about what happened earlier in the game," said Midgley, who finished with 11 points.

Shipp led Cal with 24 points.

North Carolina State (18-13) appeared headed to the second round after Sherrill made his 3-pointer.

"We were going back to play defense, but they made a great shot," the Wolfpack's Josh Powell said.

N.C. STATE (18-13)-Hodge 4-9 6-6 14, Melvin 5-17 3-4 17, Powell 6-11 5-8 17, Sherrill 5-10 0-0 15, Crawford 4-6 1-2 9, Bennerman 1-3 0-0 2, Roach 0-0 0-0 0, Collins 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-56 15-20 74.

CALIFORNIA (22-8)-Tamir 3-16 0-0 8, Shipp 8-18 7-9 24, Hughes 5-5 4-7 14, Midgley 4-9 0-0 11, Wethers 4-8 3-4 11, Diggs 0-2 0-0 0, Smith 0-0 0-0 0, Bond 0-0 0-1 0, Famulener 3-6 1-2 8, Paris 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-64 15-23 76.

Halftime-Cal 39-36. Regulation-66-66. 3-Point Goals-NCS 9-21 (Sherrill 5-7, Melvin 4-9, Crawford 0-1, Powell 0-1, Hodge 0-3), Cal 7-20 (Midgley 3-6, Tamir 2-10, Shipp 1-1, Famulener 1-3). Rebounds-NCS (Powell 9), Cal 38 (Hughes 9). Assists-NCS 16 (Crawford 7), Cal 17 (Shipp 5). Total fouls-NCS 19, Cal 14. A-18,462.

Oklahoma 71, South Carolina St. 54

OKLAHOMA CITY - Hollis Price was bothered by an injury, Kevin Bookout was sick, and Oklahoma couldn't make its shots early. But the top-seeded Sooners (25-6) had more than enough to win.

Price, the Big 12 Player of the Year, played just 11 minutes because of a left groin injury and spent most of the afternoon with a hot compress on his upper thigh.

"Hopefully I can be 80 percent by Saturday," Price said.

Bookout played nine minutes because of strep throat.

"As soon as I took him out of the game he started throwing up," coach Kelvin Sampson said. "Of course, if he had missed another shot, I would have thrown up."

De'Angelo Alexander scored 16 points and Blake Johnston had a career-high 15 for Oklahoma.

Dustin Braddick scored 15 points to lead South Carolina State (20-11).

S.C. STATE (20-11)-Du.Braddick 5-7 5-6 15, Zimmerman 4-13 1-2 10, Gilmore 2-4 0-0 4, Malone Jr. 5-10 0-0 13, Judge 2-3 0-0 4, Heath 1-4 0-0 4, Seels 1-2 0-0 2, Da.Braddick 1-5 0-0 2, Ramsey 0-1 0-0 0, Trapp 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 21-52 6-8 54.

OKLAHOMA (25-6)-Gilbert 3-4 2-4 8, Bookout 0-1 0-2 0, White 3-4 0-0 7, Price 1-1 0-0 3, Alexander 6-9 0-0 16, Ere 2-14 4-6 9, Zoschke 0-0 0-0 0, Johnston 5-7 2-2 15, Brown 4-11 4-5 12, Gipson 0-1 0-1 0, Szendrei 0-0 1-4 1, Liggett 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-52 13-24 71.

Halftime-Okla. 35-16. 3-Point Goals-SCS 6-20 (Malone Jr. 3-6, Heath 2-4, Zimmerman 1-5, Da.Braddick 0-1, Du.Braddick 0-2, Trapp 0-2), Okla. 10-18 (Alexander 4-6, Johnston 3-3, Price 1-1, White 1-2, Ere 1-6). Fouled out-Gilmore. Rebounds-SCS 29 (Malone Jr. 6), Okla. 35 (Brown 9). Assists-SCS 8 (Du.Braddick 3), Okla. 16 (Johnston 6). Total fouls-SCS 23, Okla. 12. A-18,462