RALEIGH, N.C. — Matthew Hurt scored 24 points and Duke took over with a 22-3 first-half run to beat North Carolina State 69-53 on Saturday.
Freshman Mark Williams added season highs of 13 points and five blocks for the Blue Devils (8-8, 6-6 Atlantic Coast Conference), who had lost three straight and six of eight. Yet Duke led the entire way after the opening minute in a venue where the Blue Devils had lost four of five, including a burst of 14 unanswered during its big run that decided this one.
Freshman Shakeel Moore had 13 points to lead the Wolfpack (8-9, 4-8). N.C. State has lost eight of 10 games, along with having two postponed, since the start of 2021.
Duke is facing an uphill climb to avoid missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1995, but the Blue Devils had no trouble against the Wolfpack.
Seven different players scored during their big run, which ended with DJ Steward’s 3-pointer followed by a floater in the lane by Jeremy Roach to make it 33-13 with 6:11 left before halftime. Duke led by 18 at the break and finished the game shooting 51%, including 9 of 18 from 3-point range.
That included a 6-for-7 showing from Hurt, who had missed 17 of 22 3-pointers through the previous five games. The 6-foot-9 sophomore, who entered as the ACC’s No. 2 scorer at 17.7 points, made his first six shots overall and 8 of 10 for the game.
N.C. State shot 45% but made 2 of 10 3-pointers and committed 18 turnovers.
Duke visits another instate league opponent Wednesday at Wake Forest. N.C. State visits Pittsburgh that same day.
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