RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – Trevor Lacey and North Carolina State picked apart No. 2 Duke’s defense and ended the Blue Devils’ unbeaten start.
Lacey scored 21 points and the Wolfpack shot 55 percent to beat Duke 87-75 on Sunday, knocking off one of the last three undefeated teams in the country.
The Wolfpack (12-5, 3-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) ran constant double teams at preseason All-American Jahlil Okafor to slow Duke’s big man. N.C. State went 10 for 16 from 3-point range to take control, knocking down tough shots and attacking the paint. The Wolfpack stayed aggressive as Duke’s defense couldn’t get a stop and looked lost.
Okafor finished with 23 points and 12 rebounds, but the Blue Devils (14-1, 2-1) shot 37 percent and just couldn’t keep up when N.C. State’s offense got rolling.
The Wolfpack ran off seven straight scoring possessions to build a 19-point lead – Duke’s biggest deficit all season by far – then did enough to turn away the Blue Devils’ late comeback attempts.