News & Observer | newsobserver.com | State can celebrate

Published: Mar 09, 2007 12:00 AM
Modified: Mar 09, 2007 06:38 AM

State can celebrate

N.C. State beats its Triangle rival in overtime and will play Virginia tonight. Duke gets some extra time to figure out what went wrong as it prepares for the NCAA Tournament

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Post-game audio: Duke - NCSU


N.C. State coach Sidney Lowe


Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski


State's Ben McCauley


State's Gavin Grant


Duke's Jon Scheyer

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TAMPA, FLA. - Duke and N.C. State swapped places at the St. Pete Times Forum during the ACC Tournament on Thursday night.

Unlike when Duke won by 23 on Jan. 20, this time the Wolfpack walked off the court with arms raised to celebrate an 85-80 overtime victory while the Blue Devils walked away questioning what comes next.

The stakes were much higher in this first-round ACC Tournament game as State freshman Brandon Costner dominated inside with a career-high 30 points.

State senior Engin Atsur added 21 points -- all after halftime -- as the Wolfpack replicated the white-hot shooting that keyed equally big victories over Virginia Tech and North Carolina during the regular season.

"Like I told our guys before, it's not something that I made up," State coach Sidney Lowe said. "... It's always exciting when you get a chance to play [another Triangle ACC school] and certainly come off with a win."

State (16-14) earned a second-round game against No. 2 seed Virginia tonight at 7. State played Virginia twice this season, losing both times.

This time, the Wolfpack will be rolling in with a healthy Atsur and wins over both Triangle rivals for the first time since 2002-03.

The only question is whether the Wolfpack, which has leaned heavily on its starters all season, has anything left to give after another emotionally and physically draining win.

The Wolfpack can worry about that another day because Costner, who missed four shots at the end of regulation, made good on his first shot in overtime to immediately put the Devils back on their heels.

Costner saw Duke sophomore Josh McRoberts give him the lane, drove, scored and drew a foul. Then he made the free throw.

"It gave us a lot of energy and confidence going into OT," Costner said.

Duke led by five at halftime and had squeezed out a 60-54 lead when DeMarcus Nelson drove the lane and scored with 6:43 left in regulation for two of his 17.

But State came back with a 12-2 run to grab a 66-62 lead over the next four minutes. Costner and Ben McCauley, who added 15 points and 10 rebounds, combined for eight points during the run.

Duke briefly grabbed a 68-67 lead with 1:50 left in regulation when sophomore Martynas Pocius, pressed into service because of David McClure's foul trouble, scored and was fouled.

The free throw gave Pocius his second three-point play of the game and Duke a bit of a breather until Atsur answered with a dagger of a 3-pointer to put State back up by two with 1:26 left.

Nelson's drive with 41.9 seconds left tied the score before OT.

Duke was playing without hot freshman Gerald Henderson, who was serving a one-game suspension for striking North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough on March 4.

Now the Blue Devils (22-10), who finished seventh in the ACC at 8-8, have to do something they haven't done since 1997: Sit on the sidelines and wait for the verdict on Selection Sunday.

Staff writer Luciana Chavez can be reached at 829-4864 or lchavez@newobserver.com.

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