RALEIGH – Duke basketball will have a chance to claim at least a share of the ACC regular-season championship in its finale against UNC.
The eighth-ranked Blue Devils dominated on the glass and saw Sean Stewart take another major leap in a 79-64 win against NC State on Monday night at PNC Arena.
Duke (24-6, 15-4) pulled away in the second half against the Wolfpack (17-13, 9-10), setting up a monumental matchup with the seventh-ranked Tar Heels (23-6, 15-3) on Saturday (6:30 p.m., ESPN) at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Following a 24-point loss in Raleigh last season, the Blue Devils rebounded from an early hole this time around and outscored NC State 46-34 in the second half.
Here’s what stood out in Duke’s final road game of the season.
Duke basketball captain Jeremy Roach’s road show
Senior captain Jeremy Roach came through with another stellar road effort in what could be the final away game of his Duke career.
After averaging 15.7 points in the Blue Devils’ first nine ACC road games, Roach had 21 points at NC State in his best ACC road performance of the season. He had 13 points in the second half and seemed to have an answer every time the Wolfpack made a push.
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Sean Stewart becoming top bench player for Blue Devils
Duke freshman Sean Stewart continues to command more attention as a top bench player for the Blue Devils. Caleb Foster’s injury has opened up opportunities for Duke to play some bigger lineups, giving Stewart a chance to show off his athleticism as a rebounder, finisher and shot blocker.
He had a season-high three blocks, along with 12 points and five rebounds against NC State. Stewart’s progression is something to watch as the postseason draws closer.
Duke’s improved offensive rebounding
Duke hasn’t been an elite offensive rebounding team this season, coming in at 95th in that rating on KenPom.com. But the Blue Devils have crashed the glass with a new sense of urgency, with double-digit offensive rebounds in six of the last seven games.
Duke had 14 in the first half against NC State, two shy of its season-best performance. The Blue Devils finished with a season-high 19 offensive rebounds, scoring 23 second-chance points.
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached atrbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.
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