No. 2 Duke’s defense disappoints again in 96-85 loss at NC State

Life in the ACC away from home has not been kind to preseason No. 1 Duke.

The Blue Devils fell to 0-2 in league games outside of Durham after a stunning 96-85 loss at NC State Saturday night. Coach K’s team opened conference play with an 89-84 defeat at Boston College on Dec. 9.

NC State, which assisted on 17 of its 34 made field goals, used a balanced offensive attack to stun Duke for the second time in as many seasons. Six of the eight players who saw the court for the Wolfpack scored in double figures, but none scored more than 16 points.

Sophomore center Omer Yurtseven was up to the task of tussling with the Blue Devils’ two-headed front court monster of Marvin Bagley and Wendell Carter. Yurtseven finished with 16 points, nine rebounds and three blocks before fouling out late in the second half.

The win marked the second time this season that NC State has upset the No. 2 team in the country. The Wolfpack also did the trick when they took down then second-ranked Arizona in the quarterfinals of the Battle 4 Atlantis in November. Since that win, the team has been handed disappointing defeats by the likes of Northern Iowa and UNC Greensboro. The Pack also lost its first two games of ACC play, falling decisively on the road to Clemson (78-62) and Notre Dame (88-58).

Defense continues to be a primary concern for Duke, which allowed Florida State to score 93 points in its only ACC victory to date. The Blue Devils are the No. 1 team in Ken Pomeroy’s adjusted offensive efficiency rankings, but have allowed opponents to score 80 points or more in seven of their 15 games this season. The latest subpar defensive effort overshadowed a stellar individual performance from Bagley that included 31 points and 10 rebounds.

Saturday’s win marks the first time that NC State has defeated Duke in back-to-back games since 1994-95. The Wolfpack stunned the Blue Devils 84-82 at Cameron Indoor Stadium last season.