No. 2 Duke used a tenacious defensive effort and balanced offensive attack to build a 27-point halftime lead in a 77-53 rout of N.C. State in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament. The Blue Devils accounted for the high-octane backcourt of the Wolfpack by applying full-court pressure and throwing N.C. State out of whack with a stout zone defense that allowed Duke to avenge its 87-75 regular season defeat at the hands of the Wolfpack. With the win, the Blue Devils will take on the winner of Thursday's Miami-Notre Dame game Friday at 9 p.m.
Revisiting the three keys to the game:
- Find a way to cool down N.C. State's backcourt: After the trio of Ralston Turner, Trevor Lacey and Anthony Barber put up 41 points on 9-of-15 shooting from beyond the arc in the teams' first matchup, Duke made the needed adjustments to contain the Wolfpack backcourt Thursday. Head coach Mike Krzyzewski's three-quarter court press left N.C. State searching for flow on offense from the opening tip. Senior Quinn Cook was also instrumental in the Blue Devils' improved defensive effort as the guard's defense on Barber took the Wolfpack's explosive scorer out of the game. After scoring 34 points in N.C. State's first game of the tournament, Barber was held scoreless for the first time all season and left midway through the second half due to an apparent concussion.
- Knock down open looks: Duke was hot from the floor all night against N.C. State and finished shooting 56.6 percent in the victory. Whether it was a Cook floater in the paint or a Marshall Plumlee dunk, the Blue Devils' superb ball movement allowed them to get open shots throughout the contest. Although Duke primarily chose to attack the basket instead of settling for outside jumpers, the Blue Devils finished 5-of-13 from deep and were able to get good looks on the perimeter all game.
- Get production out of Amile Jefferson: Although the junior was held scoreless Thursday, the Philadelphia native turned in a solid effort on defense and on the boards. Jefferson's intensity off the bench was a big reason why the Blue Devils were able to stretch the lead even with star Jahlil Okafor getting rest on the sideilne. With the NCAA tournament approaching, Jefferson's ability to serve as a spark plug for Duke's second unit will be crucial if the Blue Devils hope to play deep into March.
Three Key Plays:
- 13:25 remaining, first half: With the Wolfpack threatening to creep back into the game, a Cook triple stretches the lead back to 11.
- 11:43 remaining, first half: Plumlee finishes the first of his six dunks on the night, throwing down an uncontested dunk after a nice drive from Allen.
- 1:32 remaining, first half: Allen continues his impressive performance by connecting on a 3-pointer to put the Blue Devils up 49-20.
Three Key Stats:
- Balanced scoring with six players in double-figures for the Blue Devils: Jahlil Okafor, Quinn Cook and Justise Winslow were the usual suspects for Duke, but Plumlee scored 12 and Allen and Matt Jones added 11 apiece to give the Blue Devils production all over the floor.
-
Career-high 12 points for Plumlee: The Warsaw, Ind., native's six dunks epitomized the definition of a high-percentage shot, taking advantage of penetration from teammates to finish above the rim.
- Duke holds N.C. State to 5-of-18 shooting from beyond the arc: The Wolfpack knocked down 10 triples in their upset win against the Blue Devils back in January but could not get comfortable Thursday. Outside of guard Ralston Turner, N.C. State went 1-for-12 from downtown.
And the Duke game ball goes to.... Grayson Allen
The Jacksonville, Fla., native did it all, finishing with 11 points, three rebounds, three assists and two blocks in 21 minutes. Allen drove aggressively to the basket to finish in the paint or dish off to teammates, knocked home a 3-pointer and delivered an emphatic rejection of a Barber drive just before halftime.
And the North Carolina State game ball goes to.... Ralston Turner
Turner was the only Wolfpack player to establish an offensive rhythm in the first half, pouring in 13 of N.C. State's 22 points in the period. The LSU transfer finished the night with 16 points and made four of his six attempts from downtown, but it was not enough to keep the Wolfpack within striking distance with Lacey, Barber and the rest of the offense struggling to make shots.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.