DUKE 61, STATE 58, FINAL: Brittany Strachan gets an open look at a 3-pointer but can't knock it down. Duke will escape Raleigh with a narrow victory against a State team that never gave up and gave the Blue Devils a serious scare with hot shooting in the game's early stages. But Duke outscored the Wolfpack 34-22 in the second half and overtime period, and will move to 4-0 in the ACC with the win.
DUKE 61, STATE 58, 13.2, OT: Duke calls a full timeout after Thomas knocks down two clutch free throws. State will be looking for the game-tying 3-pointer and Fields is the team's go-to shooter.
DUKE 59, STATE 58, 18.3, OT: Duke cannot put State away as Waner commits a travel. On the ensuing possession, Tia Bell puts in Fields' missed 3-pointer, but can't convert the 3-point play. On the missed FT, State grabs the offensive board and Nikitta Gartrell hits the pull-up jumper to bring the Wolfpack within one.
DUKE 59, STATE 54, 1:29, OT: Black makes two free throws and State misses a three on the other end. Waner turns it over with a risky entry pass on Duke's next possession, but Christmas redeems the Blue Devils with a steal at midcourt that she takes all the way to the hole for a lay-up.
DUKE 55, STATE 54, 2:10, OT: Christmas misses the front end of a one-and-one, but Cheek grabs the offensive board. She misses a jumper, but Duke gets a steal in transition and Black converts a 3-point play on the ensuing Blue Devil possession. State answers quickly with a lay-up...
DUKE 52, STATE 52, END OF REGULATION: We are going to overtime here in Raleigh after a final heave by Jasmine Thomas hits the side of the rim. State had a chance to take the lead and possibly the game after Waner was trapped in the corner on Duke's previous possession and turned the ball over. But freshman Bonae Holston missed a short jumper that was almost wide open.
DUKE 52, STATE 52, 1:00: Duke calls a 30-second timeout with possession of the ball. As the Blue Devils are in the bonus, they don't need to rush anything, but an errant entry pass to Black gives State the ball. Fields capitalized on the turnover, tying it up with a jumper. 28.8 seconds remain...
DUKE 52, STATE 50, 1:34: A 3-pointer by Shayla Fields tied the game at 50, but a putback by Black on the other end gives Duke the slender lead. It looks like this one is going down to the wire.
DUKE 50, STATE 47, 2:15: Black's lay-up gives her 10 points all coming in the second half. Duke cannot get any separation from the Wolfpack, however, turning the ball over on its last possession.
DUKE 48, STATE 47, 3:37: Duke has forced State into bad shots on its last three possessions, making the Wolfpack run off about 20 seconds on the shot clock each time. Christmas leads all Duke scorers with 15 points as she continues to make big plays, catching State off guard and coasting to an easy fastbreak lay-up.
DUKE 44, STATE 45, 7:20: It seems like whenever Duke needs a big basket, Karima Christmas has come through in the clutch. She slashed her way to the rim from the left wing and made a tough shot inside just before the media timeout.
DUKE 42, STATE 43, 8:59: State went on a 7-0 run that was finally slowed after a jumper by Cheek. Black finally converted a pair at the line after missing her first four free throws.
DUKE 38, STATE 36, 11:46: The Blue Devils are frustrating the Wolfpack with their match-up 3-2 zone defense. Another basket by Black inside after she pulled down an offensive board gives Duke the lead.
DUKE 36, STATE 36, 15:02: Black's first basket of the contest ties the game at 36. State has gone cold from the field in the first five minutes of the half, and a block by Thomas has Duke playing with renewed energy on defense. Duke will look to build on its 9-0 run coming out of the timeout.
DUKE 34, STATE 36, 17:00: Waner's no-look pass to Jasmine Thomas for an easy lay-up in transition resulted in a 3-point play for the Blue Devils. Thomas then knocked one down from beyond the arc on Duke's next possession, and Carrem Gay hit one out of two from the line to cut State's lead to two.
DUKE 27, STATE 36, Halftime: Bridgette Mitchell's driving lay-up cut State's lead to nine, but the story of the first half has been Duke's lack of an inside presence. Black and Cheek have combined for only two points (both free throws) and four rebounds. State shot 43.5% from the field compared to Duke's 32.4% and has gone to the line 12 more times than the Blue Devils, making 11 out of 14 at the stripe. Christmas has 11 points off of the bench, but Duke needs to get something going down low to turn the tide of the game.
DUKE 21, STATE 32, 3:59: State hit back-to-back 3-pointers before missing the mark on its next two possessions. Unfortunately, the Blue Devils could not capitalize on the last miss as a State offensive board resulted in a trip to the line for the Wolfpack. Karima Christmas has become Duke's go-to player, scoring the team's last seven points.
DUKE 14, STATE 25, 7:37: N.C. State guard Shayla Fields—the ACC's second-leading scorer—has nine points and the Wolfpack are having little trouble breaking Duke's 2-2-1 full court press. Black and Cheek are still struggling to convert lay-ups from the blocks.
DUKE 12, STATE 16, 11:44: Chante Black has two fouls and has yet to establish herself down low as Duke continues to settle for jump shots in its half court offense.
DUKE 8, STATE 4, 16:29: Abby Waner is active early with a steal, rebound, assist and two three-pointers, but the Blue Devils have already committed two turnovers.
DUKE 0, STATE 0, 20:00: Duke controls the opening tip and loses it out of bounds on its first possession attempting to find Chante Black on the block down low.
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