HALFTIME: Duke 39, N.C. State 38

Tight games have been par for the course at the 2014 ACC tournament, and semifinal Saturday has been no different. Duke and N.C. State are locked in another close contest at the half, with Duke holding a 39-38 edge. The Blue Devils came into the game looking to slow down N.C. State's T.J. Warren, who is averaging 26.0 points per game thus far in the tournament, and quickly found that to be easier said than done. Warren had 13 points in the first half, scoring on pull-ups, off the dribble, and from the foul line. For Duke, Jabari Parker poured in 11 points as his aggressive play continued, and the Blue Devils got a combined 15 points from from guards Quinn Cook and Rasheed Sulaimon.

The winner earns the right to try to unseat top-dog Virginia in the conference championship game Sunday at 1 p.m. The Cavaliers hung on for a 51-48 win against Pittsburgh in the first semifinal matchup.

Here are some observations from the first half:

• Rasheed Sulaimon found his way back into the starting lineup again for Duke, replacing Andre Dawkins. The move was not much of a surprise, as Dawkins played only seven minutes against the Tigers and did not register a point. Sulaimon provided seven points of production for the Blue Devils in the first half.
• After missing his first six shots Friday night against Clemson, Jabari Parker opened 4-of-9 from the field against the Wolfpack and shot a perfect 3-of-3 from the charity stripe.
• The Wolfpack have been running a lot of backdoor action for superstar T.J. Warren, and victimized Rodney Hood twice in the early going. Warren came out on fire, scoring 11 of N.C. State's first 22 points, and finished the half with 13 points.
• Anthony "Cat" Barber struggled in the first meeting between the two teams Jan. 18, committing four turnovers and scoring just seven points. It's been a story of redemption for the freshman in the first 20 minutes today, as Barber drilled his first three shots en route to eight points.
• Foul trouble could become an issue for the Blue Devils down the stretch. Tyler Thornton picked up three personals and Rodney Hood was called for two fouls in the opening 20 minutes.
• Duke's rotation looked a little different from normal, as both Matt Jones and Josh Hairston got some early minutes and Dawkins did not play in the first half.