NC State Falls For The Second Straight Game Against Duke

DURHAM, N.C. – Duke got its highest-ranked win since 2022 in Sunday’s 69-58 victory against the No. 6-ranked North Carolina State Wolfpack on Sunday in the Cameron Indoor Stadium. 

Duke got on the board first with an NC State turnover, that led to a 6-0 start for the Blue Devils. The Wolfpack struggled against Duke’s defense. They went five minutes without a score before forcing a foul on the Blue Devils. 

The rhythm began to pick up, closing in on halftime. But NC State continued to struggle through the rest of the first half.  

As if the game was not going in Duke’s favor already, they closed the first half with a three-pointer from Ashlon Jackson and only allowed NC State to score 19 points in one half, the fewest points ever in a half from the Wolfpack. 

The Wolfpack could not get it together and was not clicking to start the second half. NC State trailed up to 22 points in Sunday’s game, the most they have ever trailed. 

NC State got a rhythm going with a 9-0 run with three minutes left in the third quarter, after being quiet most of the quarter. 

The Pack improved overall in the third quarter and outscored the Blue Devils 18-17. Saniya Rivers closed out the quarter with a jumper and forced a foul. 

NC State forced a four-minute scoring drought for the Blue Devils that helped close in on its deficit as the fourth quarter wound down. 

Despite the late drought from the Blue Devils, NC State was not able to make a comeback, resulting in a 69-58 victory for the Duke Blue Devils. 

NC State struggled with turning over the ball. The Wolfpack began the game off a turnover. They also struggled with getting open in the paint but could not make a shot from the distance either.  

Duke played aggressively on defense. NC State was too loose with the ball. In some cases, NC State was not making passes to Duke players, they would simply lose possession.  

The Blue Devils kept River Baldwin in check in the paint. When shooting in the paint did not work, the Wolfpack reverted to shooting behind the post to get something going for themselves. 

Taina Mair stood out and led the Blue Devils with 20 points, seven rebounds, and two assists. Reigan Richardson followed with 15 points, four rebounds, and two assists. 

Moving forward, the Wolfpack need to move with unity, get in sync with one another, and be quicker on its feet. The Wolfpack struggled to move as a team and had costly moments of miscommunication. 

Up next, NC State will host Syracuse on Feb 29th at 7 P.M.