Duke Rallies Past NC State To Win ACC Championship

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) – Oluchi Okananwa had 22 points and 10 rebounds to help No. 11 Duke rally from a 14-point deficit to beat No. 7 NC State 76-62 on Sunday for the 2025 Ally Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament title.

The win secured the Blue Devils’ first ACC tournament title in a dozen years and their first under head coach Kara Lawson.

Okananwa, who came off the bench to match her career high for scoring, was voted the ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament MVP for third-seeded Duke (26-7), which took over after halftime against the tournament’s top seed and regular-season co-champion NC State (26-6).

Ashlon Jackson also scored 22 for Duke.

Aziaha James scored 18 points for NC State, which scored the game’s first seven points and took its largest lead at 24-10 on her 3-pointer early in the second quarter.

Duke made its third-quarter move with a 10-0 run to break a 46-all tie, starting with Jackson burying a 3-pointer over James followed by Okananwa’s jumper and Jordan Wood’s transition layup to close the third.

Then Okananwa struck again to open the fourth quarter with a straightaway 3, pushing the Blue Devils to a 56-46 lead. That margin wouldn’t slip below six again and grew to 18 late.

Duke shot 55.2% after halftime and locked down defensively to hold the Wolfpack to 32.3% shooting (10- of-31). Okananwa and Jackson’s 24 points nearly matched the Wolfpack’s team total (26) after halftime.

The Blue Devils and Wolfpack are set to start the NCAA Tournament as opening-week hosts.