Extra MustardSI On CampusFantasyPhoto GalleriesSwimsuitVideoFanNationSI KidsTNT
Updated: Sunday, January 12, 2003 10:34 PM EST
NCAA BASKETBALL RECAP
Recap | Box Score | Today's Scoreboard
(1) Duke 74, (18) Wake Forest 55
WAKE FOREST DEMON DEACONS
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Related Links:
DUKE BLUE DEVILS
Duke Blue Devils
Related Links:

DURHAM, North Carolina (Ticker) -- No. 1 is the only one left.

Chris Duhon hit consecutive 3-pointers during a pivotal stretch late in the first half and Dahntay Jones had 15 of his 16 points after the break as top-ranked Duke knocked off Atlantic Coast Conference rival and 18th-ranked Wake Forest, 74-55.

With their 14th straight win against Wake Forest, Duke (11-0, 2-0 ACC) knocked the Demon Deacons from the ranks of the unbeaten. The Blue Devils are the lone remaining unbeaten team in Division I and have started 11-0 in six of coach Mike Krzyzewski's 23 seasons at the school.

Wake Forest (10-1, 0-1) had outshot and outrebounded and its opponents in all 10 of its games this season. But the Demon Deacons were blitzed by a late first-half run and never recovered.

"Give a lot of credit to Duke, they are very good," Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser said. "They're excellent here. They're excellent every place. Tonight they were a lot better than we were."

Wake Forest jumped out to a 10-5 lead, but Duke battled back and drew even, 14-14, on two free throws by Daniel Ewing with 12:25 left in the half.

The game was tied, 27-27, with 3:55 left when Duhon buried a 3-pointer to put Duke ahead for good. He added another basket from beyond the arc 30 seconds later, and Casey Sanders and Shavlik Randolph followed with dunks to give the Blue Devils a 37-27 edge at the break.

Jones opened the second half with a 3-pointer for a 12-point cushion, and the Demon Deacons never got closer than eight points the rest of the way.

"Obviously, the last four minutes of the half were a crucial point of the game," Prosser said. "Then they went on a 10-point run and we never recovered from that in the second half."

"They knocked us back early in the first half and then we made just a little adjustment in our defense and started taking away some of their transition," Krzyzewski said. "I thought to have a 10-point lead at half in this game was pretty darn good. Our execution in the last couple minutes of the first half, I think was critical."

After going 0-for-6 from the floor over the opening 20 minutes, Jones made 6-of-10 shots after the break, including 3-for-3 from the arc. Duhon had nine assists and just one turnover.

"It was a big win by us," Jones said. "I think our leader, Chris Duhon, really pulled us through some tough moments down the stretch and he got us going."

Randolph had 15 points, seven rebounds and two blocks in 24 minutes off the bench.

"I knew this is ACC basketball, so I needed to come in and take my aggressiveness up a notch. I knew I needed to do that for this team to be successful and that's what I tried to do from the start," Randolph said. "All we really concentrate on is being the best Duke can be, and that was pretty good tonight. We just want to improve on that for the next game."

Duke has led by at least 11 points in each of its 11 games and has had a reserve score at least 10 points in every contest.

Wake Forest was held to its fewest total since Prosser took over prior to last season.

"We're getting better," Krzyzewski said. "We have to or we're going to get tossed aside. We still have a ways to go. This is a huge week for us, three games in six days and to get it started with this was good."

Josh Howard led Wake Forest with 13 points, 14 rebounds and four steals. Jamaal Levy chipped in 10 for the Demon Deacons, who shot just 22-of-64 from the field, including 4-of-18 from 3-point range.

Duke shot 47 percent (27-of-57), making half its 20 attempts from the arc.


© 2005 STATS, Inc
Search