Field Level Media
Jan 6, 2018
North Carolina State shot 54.5 percent from the field in the second half, never trailing after halftime in pulling off a stunning 96-85 upset of second-ranked Duke in Atlantic Coast Conference play Saturday night at sold-out PNC Arena.
Six players scored in double figures for N.C. State (11-5 overall, 1-2 ACC), with Omer Yurtseven and Torin Dorn leading the way with 16 points apiece.
Allerik Freeman tallied 15 points, Braxton Beverly added 14, Lennard Freeman had 13 and Abdul-Malik Abu posted 10. The Wolfpack knocked off Duke for the second year in a row.
The latest outcome was pretty much secured with Dorn's four-point play at the 1:06 mark, pushing the lead to 91-80. N.C. State was playing its conference home opener after beginning with two ACC road games for the first time in a decade.
It was an incredible turnaround for the Wolfpack, who three nights earlier dropped a 30-point decision at Notre Dame.
Marvin Bagley III poured in 31 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Duke (13-2, 1-2). Trevon Duval's 18 points, Gary Trent Jr.'s 13 and Wendell Carter Jr.'s 11 also helped the Blue Devils, who became the second No. 2-ranked team to lose to the Wolfpack this season.
In November, N.C. State toppled then-No. 2 Arizona.
Yurtseven scored the last four points of the first half to put the Wolfpack on top 43-41 at the break. He had 14 points less than four minutes into the second half, setting a career high for an ACC game for the sophomore center. He was tagged with his fourth foul with 8:20 to play, then slightly more than a minute later, Abu picked up his fourth also.
That didn't bother the Wolfpack, who had a 75-66 edge with less than seven minutes to play.
Yurtseven fouled out with 2:24 remaining.
Duke shot 53.1 percent in the first half, but committed nine turnovers during that span and finished with 16 giveaways.
The Wolfpack opened the second half by making 11 of its first 17 shots and grabbing offensive rebounds on three of the misses.
--Field Level Media