Zone, Role Players Rally Duke Past NC State

Blue Devils erase eight-point deficit to snap losing streak

Duke snapped a two-game losing streak with an 88-69 win over NC State at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Monday.

The win avenged a loss to the Wolfpack two weeks ago and ended a string of three losses in four games. While the margin of victory was comfortable, there were some tense moments in the first half.

“What we walked through defensively, we did not do in the start of the game,” coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “Markell [Johnson] is magical with the ball screen. You cannot defend it alone. You have to defend it with five guys and we were not doing it.”

State was able to drive into the heart of the defense and score at the rim. At one point, the Wolfpack had a 20-6 edge in points in the paint, and they led by as many as eight points in the first half.

To help stop Johnson and the Pack, Duke switched to a zone defense, which it played for most of the rest of the game. “(It was) the only thing we could do was try to keep them out of our paint – not just him, but the whole team and that worked for us,” Krzyzewski said.

The move helped Duke get back into the game, and the Blue Devils actually took the lead at halftime, 38-36.

One of the keys to the first half run was Justin Robinson. The senior and former walk-on had played just 19 minutes in ACC games before foul trouble to Duke’s bigs forced him into the first half of the Wake Forest game last week. His energy and production earned him another first-half appearance, and he responded with a pair of three pointers, as well as key offensive rebounds and blocked shots.

In the second half, it was Cassius Stanley’s turn to lift the Blue Devils. After shooting just 2-for-9 for four points in the first half, he exploded for 14 second-half points, most coming on aggressive drives to the basket, including a pair of dunks that brought the crowd to its feet.

“For Cassius to come out and just go after it,” Krzyzewski said. “He wasn’t hesitant. With young guys, you worry if they’re going to be hesitant – they were not.”