RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Star freshman Cameron Boozer scored 26 points and top-ranked Duke shot 55.2% to beat NC 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 NC 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. NC 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.
NC State: Stanford visits the Wolfpack on Saturday to close the regular season.
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