Beyond the Arc: Duke basketball vs N.C. State

No. 5 seed Duke outlasted 12th-seeded N.C. State 92-89 Wednesday to win the highest-scoring ACC tournament game in 26 years. With the victory, the Blue Devils advanced to the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament and will face fourth-seeded Notre Dame Thursday at 2 p.m.

Revisiting the three keys to the game:

• Crash the defensive boards: After getting walloped by North Carolina on the glass in the regular season finale, Duke managed to assert itself on the boards Wednesday against the Wolfpack behind big performances from graduate student Marshall Plumlee and freshman Brandon Ingram. The Blue Devils still lost the rebounding battle 34-32, but their performance was a marked improvement over the negative-35 rebounding differential from the game against the Tar Heels. Plumlee led the game with 10 rebounds—including three on the offensive glass—and Ingram added seven boards of his own to keep Duke in a position to pull away. 
• Keep “Cat” Contained: Head coach Mike Krzyzewski lauded the play of N.C. State's Anthony "Cat" Barber following Wednesday’s game—and Barber deserved the praise. The Newport News, Va., native posted 29 points on 10-of-18 shooting and dished out seven assists against the Blue Devils. Although Duke did little to keep Barber contained, they were able to keep pace with him on their own offensive end. The Blue Devils put forth one of their best offensive performances of the year against N.C. State en route to 52 percent shooting on the afternoon. With four players contributing at least 17 points of offense, Duke overcame the ACC's top scorer with a balanced attack. 
• Stay in the moment: The Blue Devils’ brought their best Wednesday and they needed to. With very little to lose, the Wolfpack came out firing on all cylinders and were red-hot form the field to start the game. But as the game progressed and N.C. State began to tire, Duke was able to take advantage. Nothing better epitomizes the grit the Blue Devils showed to win this game than the way Plumlee finished the game after breaking his nose. Duke needed to embrace their inner warrior to win this game and its center did just that.

Three key stats

• N.C. State starts four gaurds: Head coach Mark Gottfried opted not to start 6-foot-9 forward BeeJay Anya and instead fielded a lineup dominated by guards, including both Cody and Caleb Martin. The choice was an interesting one, considering that less than a week ago North Carolina revealed the Blue Devils’ weakness down low and showed that the way to beat Duke is to go big. 
• Marshall Plumlee breaks one nose: The resilience that the Warsaw, Ind., native showed to return to the game after his nose was knocked out of alignment encapsulated the spirit of this team and emerged as one of the biggest takeaways from the game. With senior Amile Jefferson seeking a medical redshirt, Plumlee is the go-to leader on the floor and showed another example of that Wednesday. 
• The teams exchange the lead 20 times: Duke's tournament opener was a competitive battle from start to finish, and a classic example of why the double bye is so important in the ACC tournament. The Blue Devils will be going up against a Notre Dame team that has had multiple days of rest, while Duke will still be feeling the aftereffects of their game against the Wolfpack. Managing fatigue and heavy legs could become a problem for the Blue Devils moving forward in the tournament if Thursday’s game turns out anything like what transpired Wednesday.

Three key plays

• 0:36 remaining, first half: On N.C. State’s final possession of the first half, Barber throws up a long two that finds the net and gives the Wolfpack a three-point advantage heading into halftime. N.C. State’s ability to stick with Duke and carry a lead through the midway point set the stage for the thrilling second half that was to follow.
• 6:06 remaining, second half: With the Blue Devils up six, Ingram dishes the ball to guard Grayson Allen who hits a shot from downtown to give his team their largest lead of the game. The Wolfpack would battle back—with the help of a flagrant foul committed by Allen—but the sophomore's timely three-pointer gave Duke the breathing room it desperately needed at the time. 
• 1:14 remaining, second half: Playing with a broken nose, Plumlee completes the play of the game, going up for a put-back through contact to give the Blue Devils a 91-89 lead. The big man would make the free-throw, and Duke would keep the lead through the remainder of the game.

And the Duke game ball goes to.... Marshall Plumlee