RALEIGH, N.C. -- Getting back on the winning track was big, even for Duke.

Guard Grayson Allen's 28 points and forward Brandon Ingram's 25 lifted the No. 20 Blue Devils to an 88-78 come-from-behind victory over North Carolina State on Saturday at PNC Arena, ending a three-game losing streak.

"I hope our fans understand just how big these wins are," coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "We're fighting like crazy."

Duke looked in danger of another setback until using a 14-0 run for a 66-56 lead with less than 9 1/2 minutes to play.

"We had to win this game," Ingram said. "There was no other option."

Duke was 3-for-14 on first-half 3-pointers, but the Blue Devils made 7-of-11 long-range launches in the second half.

N.C. State gained a 10-point first-half lead, but what came next impressed Krzyzewski the most about his team.

"We weren't hitting and we stood the course," he said. "That's where we won the game, just not going whacky."

Duke began the second half with some crisp offensive sequences and that helped set the tone for 70.8-percent shooting after halftime.

After gaining the double-digit advantage, the Blue Devils scored an array of drives to the basket to maintain their edge.

"We were just wired for this game," Krzyzewski said.

Center Marshall Plumlee said the Blue Devils didn't consume themselves with recent defeats.

"The emphasis this week was on our preparation," he said. "We didn't spend a whole lot of time dwelling on the past. I think there was kind of calm throughout the team and coaching staff, really believing in our game plan."

Guard Luke Kennard added 12 points for Duke (15-5, 4-3 in the ACC), which had its longest losing streak since March 2007.

Guard Matt Jones, who was scoreless in the first half, made two 3-poniters during Duke's game-changing run. Plumlee finished with 10 points and a game-high eight rebounds.

Duke has won three of four ACC road games.

"Coming out in the second half, we didn't come out with the same defensive intensity," N.C. State forward Abdul-Malik Abu said. "We have to suck it up."

Krzyzewski said the Blue Devils altered their defensive alignments, something that he believed helped preserve energy for Plumlee. The coach said he was particularly pleased with Duke's 31-28 rebounding edge.

Guard Anthony Barber, the ACC scoring leader, scored 19 points for N.C. State (11-9, 1-6), which was aiming for its second victory in a row amid a rough start to conference play.

Abu and guard Caleb Martin each scored 14 points, guard Cody Martin added 13 points and guard Maverick Rowan had 12 points for the Wolfpack.

"It's disappointing because we're capable of so much more," Abu said.

N.C. State made only 2-of-12 3-point shots in the second half against mostly a zone set-up from Duke.

"A lot of it is you make reads depending on what the other team is doing," Plumlee said of the defense. "Not all of it was orchestrated by Coach K. A lot of it was calls by Matt Jones and different players on the court."

N.C. State, which shot 56.7 percent in the first half, held a 43-36 halftime lead after going up by as many as 10 points. Six 3-point baskets in the first half were the key for the Wolfpack.

Allen, who ranks second in the ACC in scoring, scored 10 points during Duke's opening 16-9 burst.

N.C. State was up 23-19 courtesy of four 3-point baskets in a two-minute stretch. The Wolfpack hit jumpers twice in the first half as the shot clock was about to expire.

NOTES: Duke leads the all-time series 144-99. ... Duke lost its last three visits to PNC Arena, falling twice to N.C. State and another time to Mercer in the 2014 NCAA Tournament. ... There were a few thousand empty seats because of the after-effects of a winter storm and the governor's pleas for fans to stay home and watch on television. ... Duke became the second team, joining Kentucky, with 200 wins this decade. ... Other than an 11-point loss to Kentucky, Duke's other four defeats came by a total of 13 points. ... This was the first of three consecutive road games for Duke, which plays Monday night at Miami. ... N.C. State began a three-game homestand, with Wednesday night's game against Georgia Tech next.