Over the next three weeks, The Blue Zone will be counting down the top five performances from each of Duke’s graduating seniors during their collegiate careers. This week, we continue with guard Seth Curry.
No. 2: Curry scores 21 in the second half despite ankle injury to complete comeback over N.C. State.
The date: February 16, 2012
The game: Duke 78, N.C. State 73
Curry statline: 26 points—21 in the second half—on 9-of-18 shooting to go along with four rebounds and two assists.
The breakdown: No. 4 Duke was in trouble at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils were lifeless on offense through the first half against the in-state rival Wolfpack. Duke went to the locker room at halftime trailing by 16 points with Josh Hairston the leading scorer at six points.
Seth Curry struggled to get into a rhythm offensively in the first half due to a left ankle injury he suffered just two minutes into the game. The injury cost Curry almost five minutes on the bench, but the junior guard shook off the discomfort to return to the court. With his ankle plaguing him, Curry shot just 2-for-7 from the field and scored five points in the first half.
Things didn't get much better for the Blue Devils at the start of the second half. With 11:33 remaining in the game, Duke trailed by 20 points. Then Curry overcame his injury and checked back into the contest.
What happened next was an offensive clinic from the Blue Devil guard. Curry went off for 21 points in the second half on 7-of-11 shooting, including a timely 3-pointer after the final media timeout that brought his team within two points of the Wolfpack.
Curry's fight combined with 16 Austin Rivers points were enough to help Duke overcome N.C. State and preserve their perfect home record.
The quote: “It was a heroic performance by Seth,” Krzyzewski said. “Seth said, ‘I don’t know if I can go’ [following the injury].... We’ll see where he is tomorrow.”
Previous Curry performances:
No. 5: Curry leads comeback against North Carolina
No. 4: Curry leads the way as Krzyzewski wins No. 903
No. 3: Curry pours in career-high 31 to defeat Santa Clara
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