RALEIGH - The rematch fell short of the original-but not by much.
In a sequel to one of the ACC's best games this year, No. 3 Duke rode Chris Carrawell's 22 points to survive another frantic finish by N.C. State, winning 71-66 to clinch at least a share of its fourth-straight regular season conference title.
Carrawell, the Blue Devils' lone senior, is the first player in league history to win four regular season crowns in his career. The 6-foot-6 guard has accomplished a feat that eluded Duke greats from Danny Ferry to Christian Laettner to Grant Hill.
"That's something I can brag about to those guys," Carrawell said. "When I came in here, when it was my time, I was the top dog."
Carrawell was the top dog again Saturday, rescuing the Blue Devils (21-3, 12-1) when they needed him most.
Duke never trailed and led by as many as 16 points in the second half, but the Wolfpack (15-9, 5-8) mounted a late rally, much as it did in the teams' first meeting, a 92-88 Duke win in overtime.
Saturday, after State pulled within nine points at 57-48, Carrawell did what he has done all year.
"It gets to a time in the game where I say, 'OK, I gotta step it up," said Carrawell, who scored 12 of Duke's last 16 points to hold off the charging Wolfpack.
Carrawell hit a three-pointer and then a pullup jumper to push the Blue Devils' lead back to 14 with 5:24 to play.
Shane Battier, who scored 15 points on 7-for-10 shooting, added a jumper moments later to make it 66-50. The basket gave Battier 1,000 points in his three-year career.
But the Wolfpack kept coming.
"I just thought N.C. State was going to make a run, but I didn't know when," Carrawell said.
The run came, thanks to Anthony Grundy, who scored 17 of his game-high 26 points in the second half. Grundy's layup off a Kenny Inge steal capped a 16-4 Wolfpack surge and made it 70-66 with 38 seconds remaining.
After Nate James missed the front end of a one-and-one, N.C. State raced the other way with a chance to draw closer. But Grundy and Justin Gainey each passed up three-point attempts before Archie Miller traveled, ending the possession and the Wolfpack's hopes.
"Duke played excellent defense," N.C. State coach Herb Sendek said. "We had them on the run, but they kept making us make one more pass."
Carrawell-who else?-sealed the game with one free throw to provide the final margin.
"I love the fact he wants the ball," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said of his lone senior, who had six rebounds and five assists to go with his 22 points.
Sendek also had plenty of praise for Carrawell, who is emerging as the front-runner for ACC player of the year honors.
"He's just a great player," Sendek said. "He's one of those special guys, a difference maker... like John Elway at quarterback.
"Tonight wasn't an anomaly; he's been doing that all year long."
Carlos Boozer added 11 points on 7-for-7 shooting, and Jason Williams (11 points, four assists) was the fourth Blue Devil in double figures.
Duke is the fourth team to win four regular season titles in a row. The 1963-66 Blue Devils are the only other team to win all four years outright.
Despite having recently lost for the first time in three years at Cameron Indoor Stadium, the Blue Devils continue to punish opponents away from home. Saturday's win extended Duke's ACC road winning streak to 18 games, a conference record. And the Blue Devils have won 63 straight against unranked foes.
"Playing on the road forces you to come together more," Battier said. "At home you have your girlfriend calling you, all your friends-there are a lot of distractions.
"You have to like [the pressure]. If you take it seriously and let it affect you, start growing some rabbit ears, you're not as effective. But if you learn to shut the crowd up and send them home early, you've done your job."
The Blue Devils did their best in the first half to silence the 19,623 fans at State's new home, the Entertainment and Sports Arena. Duke hit its first three shots and jumped out to a quick 10-0 lead.
The Wolfpack rallied, pulling within three at 20-17 before another Duke run made it 32-22 on a pair of Carrawell free throws. Grundy hit two layups in the final 10 seconds of the half to make it 34-28 at the break.
Note: Mike Dunleavy, who scored two points and pulled down five rebounds in 24 minutes, thinks he may have mononucleosis. "I'm tired and my throat's been bothering me this week," he told SportsServer. The freshman was scheduled to be tested after the game.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.