Big second half carries No. 9 Duke to 79-64 victory at NC State
Tue, Mar 5, 2024
NCAAB News (AP)
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Jeremy Roach had 21 points and freshman Jared McCain scored 14 of his 16 after halftime to help No. 9 Duke pull away for a 79-64 victory over North Carolina State on Monday night.
McCain shot 5 of 7 after the break for the Blue Devils (24-6, 15-4 Atlantic Coast Conference), who fell behind 9-0 early. Two of his 3-pointers came during a blistering run of eight straight made shots, turning a one-point deficit into a 64-52 lead on Roach's layup at the 7:46 mark.
Duke star Kyle Filipowski had just nine points while being limited by first-half foul trouble. But the Blue Devils offset that with a big performance from 6-foot-9 freshman reserve Sean Stewart, who had 12 points, five rebounds, three blocks and two steals in 26 minutes.
Duke shot 62.5% (20 of 32) after halftime and finished with a season-high 19 offensive rebounds, leading to 23 second-chance points.
DJ Burns Jr. had a season-high 27 points to lead the Wolfpack (17-13, 9-10), who have lost three straight and four of five.
NO. 11 BAYLOR 93, TEXAS 85
WACO, Texas (AP) - Jalen Bridges scored a career-high 32 points and Baylor overcame a double-digit deficit in the final 13 minutes to beat Texas in the last scheduled game between the longtime rival schools separated by only about 100 miles.
Ja'Kobe Walter and RayJ Dennis each had seven points in a 21-2 run for the Bears (22-8, 11-6 Big 12) during a stretch when Texas missed 11 consecutive shots. The Longhorns also lost big man Dylan Disu to a left knee sprain with just over 11 minutes left.
Bridges, one of five Baylor veterans recognized before the game on Senior Night, was 8-of-11 shooting, including 6 for 7 from 3-point range. He also had nine rebounds. Dennis, another senior, had 16 points and eight assists, while Walter, a freshman, finished with 15 points.
Max Abmas, the NCAA men's active career scoring leader, had a season-high 33 points to lead Texas (19-11, 8-9).
It was the biggest comeback win of the season by the Bears, who trailed by 14 in the first half.
With Texas moving this summer to the Southeastern Conference, the 263rd meeting in a series that started in 1906 is, for now, the last scheduled game between the teams. Before 28 seasons in the Big 12, they were in the Southwest Conference together for eight decades.
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