by David Cassilo / @dcassilo
Trailing 61-41 with 11:33 remaining in the second half, No. 5 Duke closed the game on a 37-12 run to stun North Carolina State, 78-73.
It seemed as though the Wolfpack was poised for its first win in Durham against a Mike Krzyzewski coached team since 1988. But it took less than 10 minutes for the Blue Devils to erase that 20-point hole, as Austin Rivers’ three-pointer with 2:29 remaining put Duke up for good.
Sparking the rally was junior guard Seth Curry. During those final 11:13, Curry scored 16 of Duke’s 37 points. He finished the game with 26 points, the most he’s scored since transferring to Duke.
The Blue Devils have made a habit of coming from behind this season.
From The Charlotte Observer:
“It was amazing, but we’ve got to stop doing this to ourselves,” Rivers said. “It’s a bad win, but at the same time, it’s a great win.”
For North Carolina State, its a devastating loss for its NCAA tournament chances. Despite being 18-8 overall and 7-4 in conference, the Wolfpack lacks a marquee win. It is is 0-5 against ranked teams this season after falling to Duke. North Carolina State will have two more chances coming up as it hosts No. 20 Florida State and No. 8 North Carolina in its next two games.