Second-half surge carries Duke past Pack

Staff photo by Ethan Hyman

Duke couldn't buy a shot in the first half against N.C. State but the Blue Devils couldn't miss in the second.

Duke shot 76 percent in the second half to erase a six-point N.C. State lead and beat the Wolfpack going away 73-56 at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Tuesday night.

The Devils (4-0 ACC) made 16 of their first 20 second-half shots and 20 of 26 after going 9 of 31 (29 percent) in the first half.

Nolan Smith's 3-pointer at 9:24 gave Duke the lead for good at  52-49. The Devils closed the game with a 21-7 run.

State led by as many as six in the second half but started to run out of points with 10 minutes left in the game.  

Gerald Henderson (21 points) and Kyle Singler (17) found State's lost offense.

Nineteen turnovers did not help State's cause. The Pack (1-3 ACC) turned the ball over on its first three possessions, two by point guard Farnold Degand at halfcourt, and went six minutes without a field goal. 

State trailed 10-1 before it got its offense in gear. Ben McCauley, mostly at the expense of Brian Zoubek — who Raycom announcers Steve Martin and Mike Gminski repeatedly referred to as "Greg," either in confusion with Greg Paulus or former Duke player Greg Koubek — sparked State with nine first-half points.  

Duke missed its first seven shots of the game and finished the half just 9 of 31 (29 percent).

McCauley's layup at 3:35 put State up for the first time at 21-20. Brandon Costner's 3-pointer at 2:43 made it 24-20.

A Julius Mays putback followed two free throws by Greg Paulus to close the half with State up 26-22.