C.J. Leslie and Richard Howell wanted this moment, the chance to help No. 20 North Carolina State make a big step forward after a bumpy start to a season filled with potential.
Now, after a rousing performance to take down No. 1 Duke, the duo has put the Wolfpack back on everyone’s radar.
Leslie scored 25 points, including six straight during a key second-half run, to help N.C. State beat the Blue Devils, 84-76, at home on Saturday.
Howell added 16 points and 18 rebounds in a relentless performance for the Wolfpack (14-2 overall, 3-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) in a matchup of the teams predicted to finish 1-2 in the league.
Seth Curry scored 22 despite missing the final minutes with a left ankle injury for Duke (15-1, 2-1).
TOP 25 MEN’S HIGHLIGHTS
At No. 5 Indiana 88, No. 8 Minnesota 81: Victor Oladipo had 20 points and six rebounds and Jordan Hulls knocked down four 3-pointers, helping the Hoosiers (15-1, 3-0 Big Ten) hold off a late charge by the Golden Gophers’ (15-2, 3-1) to win their six straight and 18th in a row at Assembly Hall.
At Ole Miss 64, No. 10 Missouri 49: Murphy Holloway scored 22 points, Jarvis Summers added 12 and the Rebels cruised to a victory over the Tigers.
Ole Miss (13-2, 2-0 Southeastern) led the entire game, jumping out to an early 9-0 lead thanks to timely shooting and superior defense.
Jabari Brown led Missouri (12-3, 1-1) with 13 points.
UConn 65, at No. 17 Notre Dame 58: Shabazz Napier scored 19 points, Tyler Olander scored 12 of his career-high 16 points in the second half and the Huskies (12-3, 2-1 Big East) ended the game with a 7-0 run to beat the Fighting Irish, ending a 12-game winning streak by Notre Dame (14-2, 2-1).
No. 18 Kansas State 65, at West Virginia 64: Shane Southwell made two free throws with 21 seconds left, then blocked Gary Browne’s layup attempt with a second left to preserve the Wildcats’ win over the Mountaineers.
Southwell and Rodney McGruder both had 17 points for Kansas State (13-2, 2-0 Big 12).
Jabarie Hinds had a career-high 15 points for West Virginia, (8-7, 1-2).
FASTBREAKS
Elston Turner scored 40 points for Texas A&M (12-3, 2-0 SEC), and the Aggies topped Kentucky, 83-71, for their first road conference win as members of the Southeastern Conference. Turner played for the Washington Huskies for two seasons before transferring to the Aggies after the 2009-10 season. Archie Goodwin led the Wildcats (10-5, 1-1) with 17 points. … Clarence Trent, who previously played at UW and Gig Harbor High, scored 15 points and gathered six rebounds to lead Seattle University (5-10, 0-5 Western Athletic) in a 64-51 loss to Denver (9-7, 5-1) at home.
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.