DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA – Saying Duke had not been playing well coming into this game would have been a massive understatement. The Blue Devils came into this one dropping three of their past four games. Meanwhile, NC State was a desperate team that needed to pick up a win to move back onto the right side of the bubble. For 25 minutes, the Wolfpack played like the better team. They were attacking the weak points, they were making shots, they forced Duke to play a zone defense. Then things changed.
The Blue Devils finished the game on a 43-23 run to lift them to an 88-69 win. In that time the Blue Devils seemed to be no match for the Wolfpack, the team was getting good looks and were making them, Cassius Stanley broke away for some highlight real dunks, and in that run, the Blue Devils showed every bit of that team which has been previously been ranked #1 in the Country.
Rebounding proved to be a factor as the Blue Devils won the rebounding battle 42-24, which proved to be a major factor. “Once we get the rebound we’re out and we can run,” Duke guard Cassius Stanley said. “It was a great thing to have all of us get the rebound and push it. I think that’s what jumpstarted us.”
The Blue Devils wrap up the regular season playing at home against a North Carolina that has struggled this year. While Duke remains one game back in the loss column, they still have an outside chance of winning the ACC regular-season title. For NC State they will play a must-win game against Wake Forest on Friday before playing in the ACC Tournament.
Bracketology Effect: Duke moves up to the 3 line following this win and a Bracket re-scrub. NC State remains out of the field of 68.
Betting Effect: Duke -12 Over 153