N.C. State comes out hot, buries No. 16 Duke 84-60

RALEIGH, N.C. — Terquavion Smith scored 24 factors and North Carolina State jumped throughout No. 16 Duke from the opening tip, rolling to an 84-60 win on Wednesday night time within the long-running Tobacco Street rivalry between Atlantic Coast Convention neighbors.

Jarkel Joiner added 21 factors, 9 assists and 6 rebounds for the Wolfpack (12-4, 2-3 ACC), who scored the sport’s first 15 factors and led by 22 by halftime in a stunning romp.

Whereas the Wolfpack pounced, the Blue Devils (11-4, 2-2) watched early photographs roll off the rim or be swatted away. They compounded their issues by piling up turnovers in a recreation that rapidly acquired away.

N.C. State shot 47% and made 10 3-pointers, 9 coming from its dynamic backcourt duo. Extra impressively, the Wolfpack scored 30 factors off turnovers on an evening that Kevin Keatts’ squad repeatedly pushed the tempo.

One spotlight got here when Joiner hit a nook 3-pointer simply earlier than the halftime horn with Duke’s Jeremy Roach defending on his hip. Joiner gave a yell towards the courtside followers, then giddily backed away to affix his teammates heading to the locker room with a 44-22 lead.

And early within the second, Joiner and Smith acquired free collectively in transition. First Joiner hit Smith for a right-wing 3-pointer on the break, then did it once more – solely this time falling to the court docket whereas delivering the move.

Irrespective of. Joiner nonetheless raised each arms whereas laying on his again close to the baseline as if signaling the shot was good because it swished via the online. By that time, the Wolfpack led 54-28 with 17:05 left and by no means let Duke nearer than 22 once more.

Freshman Kyle Filipowski scored 14 factors to steer Duke, which shot 40% and simply 5 of 15 from 3-point vary. Duke additionally dedicated 21 turnovers, many fueling the Wolfpack’s 25 fast-break factors.

BIG PICTURE

Duke: It was a jarring consequence for the Blue Devils in a 12 months of change, from Jon Scheyer in his debut season because the successor to retired Corridor of Famer Mike Krzyzewski to a roster with 11 new gamers and the nation’s No. 1-ranked recruiting class. However the Blue Devils by no means regarded snug, assured or able to constantly creating high quality seems to be because the deficit ballooned. It amounted to a second tough exhibiting on the highway, the opposite coming in a loss at Wake Forest just a few days earlier than Christmas.

N.C. State: This one can ease a number of the frustration amid ACC losses to now-No. 12 Miami, Pittsburgh and Clemson. Smith and Joiner confirmed their potential to impose their will from the wings. Extra impressively, the Wolfpack did this with out starter and staff rebounding chief Jack Clark, who’s out indefinitely after struggling a core muscle damage late final week at Clemson.

UP NEXT

Duke: Performs a second straight highway recreation, touring to Boston School on Saturday.

N.C. State: Visits Virginia Tech on Saturday.