State can't deny K

N.C. State gives Duke all it can handle, but the Wolfpack comes up short at the RBC Center

RALEIGH -- For Duke, it was a landmark victory, giving basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski his 800th career win.

For N.C. State, it was a bitter loss. A bitter, bitter loss.

The inspired Wolfpack led nearly the entire game Saturday at the RBC Center, only to have the seventh-ranked Blue Devils surge to an 87-86 victory in the end. State played hard, played with a purpose, but it wasn't enough to prevent the Pack's seventh straight loss.

"We played with great energy and passion, and we played together," NCSU coach Sidney Lowe said. "Coach K told me we outplayed them."

But the Pack (15-14, 4-11 ACC) couldn't make the critical plays needed to finish off the Blue Devils (25-3, 12-2) in what would have been a sweet victory in the last home game of what has been a trying, disappointing season.

In the last four minutes, State had two turnovers, freshman center J.J. Hickson missed an inside shot and the Pack missed three free throws. State, which led by 13 points in the second half, also had costly defensive lapses, collapsing on Duke drives and allowing open 3-point shots.

Back-to-back 3s by Duke's DeMarcus Nelson and then Greg Paulus forced an 85-85 tie. After State's Ben McCauley hit one of two free throws with 1:11 left to give the Pack an 86-85 lead, Nelson was fouled by McCauley on a drive with 1:01 to play.

"I thought I was keeping him in front of me," McCauley said. "I thought he maybe hooked me, but obviously the ref [Les Jones] didn't think so. Unfortunately [Nelson] got the foul call and made both free throws."

The Pack turned the ball over with 40.5 seconds left when McCauley couldn't hold an entry pass from Courtney Fells. The Devils then ran down the shot clock, but Jon Scheyer was forced to take an off-balance shot from the key that missed.

Fells rebounded for the Pack with about four seconds to play. State had two timeouts remaining and Lowe said he tried in vain to signal one to set up a last play.

"I was calling it," Lowe said. "The official was running by me and turned and looked at me. I called time out, and I didn't get it."

McCauley, who had 19 points, had to take a hurried 25-footer that missed, releasing the ball just after the buzzer sounded.

"That's just one of those things where you just throw it up and hope and pray," McCauley said.

Scheyer and Nelson each had 19 points for the Devils. Paulus had 15 points, going 5-for-9 on 3-point attempts as Duke closed 13-of-28 from the arc.

A long 3 from the key by Paulus, with Duke behind 81-73, began the Devils' final push.

"We were down 13, but we didn't give up," Paulus said. "We kept trying to make plays, and we kept believing we were going to win the game."

State's Javi Gonzalez was called for an early offensive foul, hitting Paulus in the face with the ball and leaving a bloody welt under Paulus' right eye. But the freshman point guard had his best game, showing some moxie, hitting four 3s and scoring 18 points.

State senior Gavin Grant, in his last home game, had six points, seven rebounds and five assists. But Grant, who has been a clutch player this season in close games, fouled out with 2:37 left and was a frustrated figure on the bench.

"There are no moral victories," Grant said. "There is no 'L' with an 'M' next to it. I thought we deserved to win the game, but that's basketball. It doesn't always bounce your way.

"They made plays down the stretch. They could have easily folded, but they didn't. They made plays and hung tough. That's why they are who they are."

State started three freshmen -- Gonzalez, Hickson and Tracy Smith -- and gave the Devils a new wrinkle by playing zone. The Pack limited Duke to 38.6 percent shooting, shot 54 percent from the field and outrebounded the Devils 37-27, but 17 turnovers resulted in 23 Duke points.

"I thought N.C. State played superbly," Krzyzewski said. "They outplayed us the first 32 minutes. I don't think they played that badly the last eight minutes, but our guys made some great plays. Every one of our guys seemed to hit big shots, make big free throws in the last eight minutes."

Nelson knocked in a big 3 with 6:56 to play. Duke's Lance Thomas stole the ball from Gonzalez -- State fans were howling for a foul call -- and drove down the floor, only to be run down by Brandon Costner, who was called for an intentional foul.

Thomas missed both free throws, but Nelson followed with the 3 to cut State's lead to two.

"He has an incredible will to win," Krzyzewski said of Nelson.

So does Krzyzewski. Will to win? How about 800 victories?

"We try to follow Coach's lead all the time," Paulus said. "We wanted to get this for him.

"He's won 800 games. It's pretty special to be a part of."