RALEIGH, N.C. _ N.C. State had a few "keys to victory" for the Pittsburgh game posted Saturday in its PNC Arena locker room.
At the top of the list: "Be the tougher team. Win the battle of the backboards."
That could be the same Monday, when the Wolfpack goes to Duke. It could take both _ team toughness and relentless rebounding _ for the Pack to beat the Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium in a quick turnaround game for both teams.
The Pack (18-11, 9-9 ACC) was the sloppier team in the first half Saturday against the Panthers, then the better team in the second half. With freshman center Manny Bates notching the first double-double of his college career _ 13 points, 10 rebounds _ N.C. State cleaned up its play and was able to claw out a 77-73 victory.
The Wolfpack checked all the boxes in its Feb. 19 game against Duke at PNC Arena, winning 88-66. It shot the ball exceeding well, going 8-for-13 on 3's, and outrebounded the Blue Devils 51-43. The Pack never trailed, limiting Duke to 37.7% shooting from the field in a victory that had State students rushing the court at the end.
"We came out with fire in our belly," Wolfpack guard Markell Johnson said Saturday. "We need to have the same confidence and mindset we had for that game."
That night, Johnson had 28 points, Devon Daniels 25 and DJ Funderburk 21 for the Pack. N.C. State was the tougher, better team and the final score indicative of a that was starving for a big win and a team that did a lot of sleep-walking throughout the game _ Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said his team was "comatose" on the bench.
It won't be that way Monday, not after the Blue Devils have taken road losses at Wake Forest and then Virginia on Saturday. Duke closes out the regular season at home, with the Pack and then North Carolina, and Krzyzewski might have the Blue Devils breathing fire.
Duke (23-6) is tied with Virginia for third place in the ACC standings behind Louisville and Florida State, both 14-4, and the Pack in a five-team logjam at 9-9. It's that tight with a week to play, with any number of NCAA Tournament implications.
After the big loss to the Wolfpack at PNC Arena, Duke blitzed Virginia Tech 88-64 at Cameron. Krzyzewski had an attitude adjustment in practice after the N.C. State game and the Blue Devils, he said, responded.
"We grew as a group," Krzyzewski said after the Virginia Tech game. "Sometimes, you need to get punched and knocked out. But then you get up and figure out why you got knocked out."
But the Blue Devils couldn't hold a late lead at Wake Forest, losing 113-101 in double overtime. Against Virginia on Saturday, it was more a test of wills than basketball brilliance as the Cavaliers won 52-50. Not knockouts, but two more punches absorbed by Duke.
What now? Krzyzewski said after the N.C. State debacle his approach with his team was: "We're not going to throw them under the bus, we're not going to say they're not good, we're not going to say we don't believe in them, not going to say they're idiots or whatever. We're going to tell them the truth and we're going to move on."
A year ago, the Wolfpack went into Cameron Indoor Stadium for a mid-February game and lost 94-78. Duke, then ranked No. 2, got 32 points from Zion WIlliamson and outrebounded the Pack 44-26, keeping Cameron rowdy much of the game.
The Pack's Daniels said Saturday that the noise factor, the Cameron Crazies, the mystique of Cameron Indoor Stadium won't be the deciding factors. It's about the players on the court, about preparation, determination, poise and execution.
"I think it will be a real competitive game," Daniels said. "We need to stay together and compete."
A win in Durham would be another big step toward solidifying the Pack's NCAA resume, and Funderburk said there's no secret to what needs to be done Monday in terms of game planning. The blueprint is there.
"We've got to play really the same way we did last time," he said. "Make shots, lock in on key players, close up the passing lanes, stop shooters, stop Vernon Carey. That's it, really, We did it last time, we can do it again."
