RALEIGH - The Wolfpack came into Thursday night's matchup with brash confidence, telling The Technician, N.C. State's campus newspaper, that it thought it would take down the top team in the nation.
For a while, the unranked Wolfpack looked primed to steal the game. Then Duke stole it right back and ran away with it-literally.
In a first half in which the Blue Devils committed eight turnovers, they relied heavily on their suffocating defense and produced nine steals, a season high for a half.
Whenever a pass went down low, Duke forwards quickly collapsed down and swarmed the ball, limiting the Wolfpack to 12 points in the paint. The Blue Devil guards were active on the perimeter as well, constantly flying in for deflections and forcing 12 turnovers.
"We just try to get in the passing lanes," senior Lindsay Harding said. "We try to make them make passes further out from the three point line."
The process of both team's defenses dominating resulted in an ugly first half until Brittany Mitch started to take over with the score 26-22 in N.C. State's favor at the 2:45 mark. Mitch, who did not see action in Duke's victory over Maryland Saturday, sparked a stretch that put the Blue Devils ahead for good by nailing a three-pointer just as the shot clock expired.
On the next play, the freshman broke free for a fast break and converted an old-fashioned three-point play. Mitch then stole the ball, sprinted down the left side of the court and rolled the ball into the net despite getting hacked by a Wolfpack defender.
"We didn't have the momentum at all in the first half," Duke head coach Gail Goestenkors said. "Those buckets [Mitch] hit were all huge buckets, especially that three pointer she hit at the buzzer."
Duke drew off that run late in the first half and came out of the break ready to put the game away. Over the first six and a half minutes of the second half, the Blue Devils outscored the Wolfpack 15-6 to put themselves up, 49-34.
Several of these baskets also came off steals, like the first 20 minutes, but this time the Blue Devils were quicker to push the ball down the court, resulting in several fast breaks and the play of the night.
Following a badly missed shot by the Wolfpack, Wanisha Smith pulled down the rebound on the left elbow of N.C. State's side. Spying Waner streaking down the court, she darted the long pass. Waner, however, quickly found herself surrounded by three N.C. State defenders. While penetrating to the basket, in mid-air she dished it over to Harding, who went up-and-under and laid in a for pretty reverse layup.
The offense would eventually sputter out, as the Blue Devils scored only five points over the last six minutes. By that point, however, Duke had secured its 19th victory of the season, as it held the Wolfpack to shooting just 8-for-34 in the second half and forcing an additional seven turnovers.
"We knew they were looking forward to playing this game, and it was a tough game," Goestenkors said. "Overall I'm just pleased we did what was necessary to come away with the win."
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