Duke Uses Fast Finish to Get Past Wolfpack

Shelden Williams scored 18 of his 22 points in the second half to help No. 5 Duke defeat North Carolina State, 86-74, Thursday night in an Atlantic Coast Conference game at Raleigh, N.C.

The Blue Devils, 12-0 overall and 2-0 in the ACC, scored on nine consecutive possessions midway through the half to take control.

North Carolina State (10-5, 0-2) has lost four consecutive games for the first time since the 1999-2000 season. Julius Hodge, the reigning ACC player of the year, scored only 13 points on three-for-10 shooting and had five turnovers.

Duke had won 29 of the last 34 meetings, but the Wolfpack, which defeated the Blue Devils at the RBC Center the last two seasons, led at halftime, 41-38.

Williams -- a rugged 6-foot-9, 250-pound junior -- took charge when the Blue Devils needed him most. After taking only two shots in the first half, he made seven of 10 after the break and was virtually unstoppable in the paint.

Williams scored off a feed from Daniel Ewing to put Duke ahead to stay at 50-49 with 13:28 left.

The Blue Devils went on to score on their next seven possessions to take a 67-59 lead with 8:37 left. The Wolfpack got no closer than four points the rest of the way.

Memphis 78, No. 22 Marquette 68 -- The Golden Eagles committed a season-high 22 turnovers, including nine by star guard Travis Diener, and the Tigers took advantage to win the Conference USA game at Memphis, Tenn. Rodney Carney scored 29 points for the Tigers (9-7, 2-0), who led, 20-3, before the Golden Eagles (13-2, 1-1) made their first basket with 13:30 left in the first half.

OTHER GAMES

New Orleans made six free throws in the final 15 seconds, including four by Bo McCalebb, giving the Privateers (7-8, 2-0) a 74-71 victory over New Mexico State (4-11, 0-2) in a Sun Belt Conference game at New Orleans.... Northern Arizona (8-8, 1-2) missed 22 of its first 26 shots but made 21 of 36 in the second half to beat Weber State (5-10, 1-3), 86-71, in a Big Sky game at Flagstaff, Ariz.