In Greensboro, North Carolina, No. 11 Duke delivered an impressive comeback to clinch the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament title, besting No. 7 N.C. State 76-62. Oluchi Okananwa was pivotal to Duke’s success, scoring 22 points and securing 10 rebounds, as the team overturned a daunting 14-point deficit. This triumph marks the Blue Devils’ first ACC title in 12 years and is a significant first under the guidance of coach Kara Lawson.
Okananwa was instrumental off the bench, tying her career-high in scoring and earning the tournament’s MVP distinction for third-seeded Duke, who dominated the second half against the tournament’s top-seeded and regular-season co-champion Wolfpack. Ashlon Jackson was another standout performer, also contributing 22 points for the Blue Devils.
Conversely, Aziaha James stood out for N.C. State by netting 18 points. The Wolfpack initially surged ahead, starting the game strong with a 7-0 run and extending their lead to 24-10 after James hit a 3-pointer early in the second quarter. However, the momentum shifted after halftime.
The Blue Devils used the tournament as a platform for redemption, overturning regular-season setbacks against Louisville, No. 6 Notre Dame, and finally N.C. State to capture their ninth tournament crown. This victory represents Duke’s first appearance in the final since 2017. The Wolfpack, however, encountered difficulties post-halftime, despite narrowly edging out Georgia Tech and defeating 14th-ranked North Carolina to reach the finals for the fifth time in six seasons.
One crucial moment saw Duke claim momentum in the third quarter with an explosive 10-0 run that transformed a tied game into a significant lead. The sequence began with Jackson sinking a 3-pointer over James, followed by Okananwa’s jumper and Jordan Wood’s layup, extending into a double-digit advantage. The fourth quarter sparked with another crucial 3-point shot from Okananwa, broadening Duke’s lead to 56-46, a margin they maintained and expanded to 18 points by the game’s end.
Duke’s shooting precision shone post-halftime at 55.2%, alongside a steadfast defense that restricted N.C. State to 32.3% shooting. The combined efforts of Okananwa and Jackson in scoring echoed the entire Wolfpack output after the half.
With this victory, both the Blue Devils and the Wolfpack are poised to lead as hosts at the start of the NCAA Tournament.
