Big lineup boosts Pack

RALEIGH -- N.C. State got down to Duke on Wednesday night and decided to go big. For the first time all season, the Wolfpack started the second half with forwards Tracy Smith, C.J. Leslie and Richard Howell on the floor at the same time.

The Wolfpack (11-7) still lost, 92-78, but played the fourth-ranked Blue Devils even in the second 20 minutes and perhaps found a new lineup.

"I think it's a good combination," said Smith, who led State with 19 points and nine rebounds.

Down 42-28 at the half, after shooting 21.6 percent, State coach Sidney Lowe moved Scott Wood to the shooting guard spot and went with freshman guard Ryan Harrow at the point with the three forwards.

Duke scored the first basket of the second half and then State went on an 11-2 run. During the stretch, Howell had a layup and then an assist to Smith, and Leslie had a spectacular follow-up dunk. Howell also converted a three-point play after a pretty pass from Smith.

"I thought it worked," Harrow said. "We still scored and we were rebounding the ball well. Then we started to get tired and they took it."

The lineup played the first 6 minutes and 12 seconds of the half together before Howell went out for Lorenzo Brown. Duke led 54-46 when Howell went to the bench.

Lowe brought the lineup back in for the final 7 minutes, but Duke's lead had grown back to 14 points.

"Obviously it gave us good energy and got us back in it," Lowe said.

Harrow, who was 0-for-5 in the first half, didn't leave the court in the second half.

Senior Javi Gonzalez, who started the game, played a season-low six minutes. Harrow finished with 15 points, five assists and one turnover.

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski was impressed with Harrow, who was often being defended by senior Nolan Smith, and Leslie.

"I thought Harrow was really poised," Krzyzewski said. "He looks like he enjoys playing. I thought he handled everything."

Leslie rebounded from an 0-for-6 start to finish with 13 points, eight rebounds and four steals.

"You have to be impressed with Leslie's athleticism," Krzyzewski said. "He's got pro athletic ability and [he's] a monster on the boards."

It was Tracy Smith and Howell who were the only consistent options in the first half, as Harrow, Leslie and Brown combined to shoot 0-for-17.

Lowe had been working on the new lineup for the past two weeks but hadn't been able to get the group together because of foul trouble in previous games for Wood.

Wood excelled at the shooting guard spot, hitting three of his four 3-pointers in the second half and scoring 12 of his 15 points.

"I feel like we executed," Wood said. "I don't know if it was the lineup or if we came out and did the job. We brought a lot of heart in the second half, Duke just fought off our runs."

State scored 50 points in the second half, 22 more than the first, and all but 12 with the new lineup on the floor.

Howell ended up playing 24 minutes, the most he has played in four ACC games this season, and finished with 10 points, seven rebounds and three steals.