Prior to Saturday’s contest against Wake Forest the Blue Devils dominated their opponents – defeating them by an average of 20.5 points per game. And despite mounting two double digit comebacks against Auburn and Louisville, questions still loomed about if Duke could win a late-game competitive matchup. Those questions were answered against Wake Forest.
Trailing by six points with 9:55 remaining in a rowdy Lawrence Joel Coliseum and Deacon fans primed for an upset, the Blue Devils outscored Wake 24-10 to walk away with a 63-56 win.
“We have to be in these situations,” Jon Scheyer said after the game. “It wasn’t panic mode. Weāve been watching a ton of game situations. Weāve talked way more about the mental preparation and the toughness you have to have in these environments, in these games. These guys executed. I think it was a really important step for us, with our toughness, and hopefully it’s something where we can carry that momentum forward.”
It’s that toughness that that will serve the Blue Devils well as they continue a stretch that pits them against in-state foes.
Monday night Duke will host NC State. The last time these two teams met was in the Elite 8 of last year’s NCAA Tournament. NC State defeated Duke, 76-64, on March 31 in Dallas, Texas, the Blue Devilsā lone double-digit loss of the 2023-24 season.
Two completely different squads, in two completely different positions will take the floor in Blue Devils’ and Wolfpack’s first and only meeting of the season. Duke (17-2, 9-0 ACC) owns an 11-0 record at home, while NC State (9-10, 2-6 ACC) is looking for its first road win (0-4).
NC State has dropped its last four games by a combined 14 points, so expect them to come into Cameron especially motivated. That’s where Saturday’s contest will benefit the Blue Devils. They’re more battle-tested than they were just a week ago and that will allow them to weather the inevitable storm that comes when these two face each other.
