Duke 98, N.C. State 85 (final): The Blue Devils seem to feel comfortable in the last three or so minutes of the game, forcing the Wolfpack to play with their speed and style. N.C. State is pressuring the Blue Devils with a full-court press in the last few minutes in attempt to get the ball back--they are really playing with reckless abandon at this point. State has been really cold from the free-throw line which sure it taking some pressure off the Blue Devils. Scott Wood helped keep the Wolfpack in the game in the last minute or so, sinking a three to cut the Duke lead to eight. N.C. State's relentless press forced Duke to call a timeout with 1:07 to go in the game. "Our house" yell the Crazies as Mason Plumlee slams home a jam with 23 seconds to go and gets fouled and makes the free-throw. Blue Devils win.
Duke 86, N.C. State 75 (3:41, second half): The Wolfpack go on a run bringing Duke's lead to just nine, forcing Duke to call a timeout. N.C. State's Richard Howell has the hot hand for the Wolfpack in the past few minutes. He currently has 23 points.
Duke 84, N.C. State 69 (6:20, second half): The Wolfpack is slowly cutting down on Duke's lead and gaining significant momentum going into the last minutes of the game. N.C. State's Tyler Lewis, who stands at a mere 5'11", is confidently running the floor for the Wolfpack--he's not afraid to take the ball in against guys even a foot taller than him. N.C. State's "Nervous Pervis" seems to be letting the Cameron Crazies get to him at the foul line. Murphy continues to look confident on the floor for the Blue Devils, making strong moves on the offense and defense and beating everyone down the floor. Mason Plumlee is really showing his willingness and ability to take over the game, taking it strong to the hoop when the game gets tight.
Duke 74, N.C. State 60 (11:40, second half): Mason Plumlee is taking it hard to the hoop, getting Coach K energized and off his feet, finally showing some emotion. Alex Murphy checks back in for the first time this half at 13:58. T.J. Warren is forced to leave the floor with four fouls at 13:50, his 6'8" presence will likely be missed by the Wolfpack the majority of the second half. N.C. State fans are getting on their feet--their team seems to be making a comeback and gaining some momentum for the first time in the game.
Duke 65, N.C. State 46 (15:44, second half): It has been a chaotic start to the second half. Wolfpack senior Scott Wood seemed to crack a smile when the Cameron Crazies started yelling "Wood is soft," after he sent Curry to the line to shoot. Curry has not been afraid to shoot this evening. He's definitely taking any open look he's given. Quinn Cook has really stepped up at point guard this evening, taking control of the game--he's running the floor really well, making plays, good decisions and even taking the ball to the hoop himself. Mason is taking it to the hoop strong again, he will shoot two after the timeout.
Duke 58, N.C. State 37 (halftime): The Blue Devils have been spot-on from beyond the arc this half. N.C. State has warmed up to Cameron Indoor after a sluggish start. Murphy checks in for the last minute of the half. Seth has the hot hand tonight with 18 points in the half. Mason also had a strong 20 minutes. He scored 15 points this half.
Duke 54, N.C. State 35 (1:05, first half): The Wolfpack have cut down a bit on the large Blue Devil lead since the last timeout. They seem to have gotten more comfortable here in Cameron Indoor as the N.C. State fans get on their feet. This could be Alex Murphy's breakout game if he keeps up this aggressive play. He's looking more confident than ever before, hustling to get his own rebounds and all. Quinn Cook is on fire from the outside--he's currently 4-4 from beyond the arc. Seth Curry is also helping out in that department--sinking two treys in the last two minutes of the first half.
Duke 37, N.C. State 19 (7:50, first half): Mason is really asserting himself on the offense, taking it strong to the basket just about every time down the floor. The passion and intensity is written all over his face. Alex Murphy is seeing some good minutes this evening with Josh Hairston and Ryan Kelly out for the Blue Devils. The crowd really seems to want Murphy to get on the board big time chanting "Alex Murphy" and screaming at the top of their lungs after he slammed home his first real good-looking Duke career two-handed jam, getting Cameron Indoor out of their seats and going wild! Murphy will shoot two after this timeout.
Duke 28, N.C. State 11 (11:08, first half): Rasheed Sulaimon is taking over the floor this evening--dishing the ball down low, to the wings as well as taking the ball strong to the hold. Quinn Cook has gotten himself involved the past few minutes sinking two pretty threes. The Blue Devils have been dictating the tempo of this game from the get-go and currently lead by 17. The Wolfpack continues to struggle from the floor with just 11 points in the first nine minutes of play. Mason Plumlee has three crowd-pleasing jams already on the night.
Duke 16, N.C. State 5 (15:39, first half): "How beautiful is this?" says a Cameron Crazie standing behind me. I'm not sure the Blue Devils could have come out stronger than they did this evening. They sure stepped on the court to make a statement tonight. Rasheed Sulaimon had nine points with not even four minutes gone in the game. He's really looking for his shot as is Seth Curry. The Wolfpack continue to take the ball strong to the basket but have not seen their shots fall yet.
Pregame
We will be live here in Cameron at 9 p.m. Keep in mind, the last time the teams met in Raleigh a few weeks ago, the Wolfpack handed Duke its first loss of the season. Since that court-rush worthy win over the Blue Devils, N.C. State has gone 2-4. The No. 4 Blue Devils are coming off a decisive victory over Florida State last weekend, 79-60. Follow along here and on Twitter @dukebasketball for all the latest updates from Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Starters
Duke Blue Devils: Quinn Cook, Mason Plumlee, Rasheed Sulaimon, Amile Jefferson, Seth Curry
N.C. State Wolfpack: Rodney Purvis, Richard Howell, C.J. Leslie, Scott Wood, Tyler Lewis
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.