03/02/26 08:25:00
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03/02 20:23 CST No. 1 Duke clinches outright ACC title with 93-64 win at NC
State
No. 1 Duke clinches outright ACC title with 93-64 win at NC State
By AARON BEARD
AP Basketball Writer
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) --- Star freshman Cameron Boozer scored 26 points and
top-ranked Duke shot 55.2% to beat N.C. State 93-64 on Monday night, securing
the outright Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title.
The Blue Devils (28-2, 16-1) clinched the No. 1 seed for next week's ACC
Tournament with a weekend rout of No. 13 Virginia. Duke followed that by
overwhelming the Wolfpack, both by hitting from outside against N.C. State's
zone and then getting into the paint area that has become a trademark strength.
Boozer finished 8 for 10 from the field and 9 for 11 from the foul line while
grabbing nine rebounds --- along with accumulating multiple long, thick
scratches wrapping around his right shoulder amid physical second-half play.
Dame Sarr added 14 of his 16 points before halftime for Duke, which made 11 of
28 3-pointers.
The Blue Devils ran off a 9-0 burst to push to a double-digit lead late in the
first half, followed by getting opposite corner 3s --- Sarr from the right
side, then Nik Khamenia from the left --- for a 47-30 halftime lead.
Duke made its last five shots before halftime, then hit its first five out of
the break to eliminate any lingering doubt, including a 3-pointer from Isaiah
Evans that made it 56-32 at the 17:32 mark.
Darrion Williams had 17 points for the Wolfpack (19-11, 10-7), who continued a
late-season slide in coach Will Wade's debut season. N.C. State shot 35.4% and
made 7 of 29 3s en route to a fifth loss in six games, a run that includes a
41-point defeat at then-No. 24 Louisville and last week's 29-point loss at
Virginia.
Up next
Duke: The Blue Devils can avenge their lone league loss when they host
17th-ranked North Carolina in Saturday's regular-season finale between the
longtime rivals.
N.C. State: Stanford visits the Wolfpack on Saturday to close the regular
season.
___
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