With the momentum turning Duke's way in the second half, forward Gerald Henderson corralled a loose ball that had been deflected by Dave McClure. Racing down the court, Henderson soared skyward for an electric dunk. In what has become a familiar sight of late, Henderson turned to run the other way, raising his arms in a veritable attempt to realize the Cameron Crazies' affectionate chant, "G can fly".
After that emphatic statement, the outcome of Duke's 73-56 win Tuesday was never in doubt.
Henderson's dunk pushed the Blue Devils' lead to seven, and it would only grow the rest of the way. The athletic junior's aggressive play and leadership after halftime was the difference in the game after a first half in which Duke's shooting touch was as cold as the temperature outside.
"I kind of took it on my shoulders," Henderson said. "My teammates were going to me, coaches were going to me. I knew that if [head coach Mike Krzyzewski] is going to call some plays for me, I have got to make something happen."
He managed to do just that when the Blue Devils needed it most, as the normally reliable Kyle Singler, Nolan Smith and Jon Scheyer struggled in the first half and in the early parts of the second.
To compensate, Henderson turned the second half into his own personal offensive clinic, rising quickly and often for mid-range jumpers or finding openings to get to the basket.
He started his streak by cutting to the basket on back-to-back possessions, making two layups despite being fouled both times.
Five minutes into the second period, Henderson grabbed the ball on a hand-off, curling around the screen and into the lane for yet another dunk. On the Blue Devils' next trip down the floor, Henderson sank another short jumper. Immediately shifting to defense, he then deflected a lazy Wolfpack pass to teammate Greg Paulus, who let loose a long 3-pointer to tie the game at 41.
For long stretches, Henderson seemed to be the only Blue Devil who could figure out the N.C. State defense. It didn't hurt that talented Wolfpack forward Courtney Fells, who had defended Henderson for much of the first 20 minutes, picked up his third foul only a minute into the second half.
"When [Fells] got his third foul, that really changed things for us, because he was guarding Henderson." N.C. State head coach Sidney Lowe said. "That's when Henderson started to really go. He's a unique player in that he is strong enough to put it on the floor and get by you, use his body-he can jump over you, [too]. He's really knocking down that jump shot right now, which makes it even tougher, because if you get up on him, he's got that first step. Tonight, he did exactly what a player of his caliber is supposed to do: He took over the game."
And he did it in more ways than one. With the game still young, Henderson rose into the air, but instead of taking the shot, he drilled a pass to an open Singler waiting at the top of the key. When Henderson elevates, Krzyzewski said, he doesn't just score points, he also produces looks for his teammates.
Whether he is contributing by shooting pinpoint passes to open teammates or creating his own shot through his outrageous athleticism, Henderson pushes Duke to another level when he raises his play. It was true Saturday against Georgetown, when he scored 23 points, and it was also true Jan. 10 at Florida State, when he set a career-high with 25 points.
Duke won both games.
And if the Crazies see Henderson's arms rise in celebration more, the Blue Devils might end up winning a lot more, too.
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