The losing streak is officially over.
With Saturday's convincing 78-47 home victory over Wake Forest (14-11, 4-8, in the Atlantic Coast Conference), Duke (23-2, 12-1 ACC) was able to end the Demon Deacons' five-game winning streak at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Leading the way for the Blue Devils was redshirt junior guard Trajan Langdon, who shot an impressive 75 percent from beyond the three-point arc (6-for-8), and finished with a team-high 18 points. Langdon was one of four Blue Devils who scored in double figures along with senior forward Roshown McLeod (16), freshman guard William Avery (11) and sophomore forward Chris Carrawell (10).
"I don't even know who scored for us today because it was so well-balanced," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "We were very unselfish."
On the other hand, Wake Forest had problems all day getting its offense in synch, throwing numerous passes out of bounds and forcing outside shots due to poor shot-clock management. Duke's defense was able to hold the Demon Deacons to a paltry 33.2-percent shooting (17-for-52) from the field.
"Duke is a great team," Wake Forest coach Dave Odom said. "They played great today. I thought our defense was better than it was in Winston-Salem, but still not good enough to make a game out of it."
The Blue Devils took advantage of Wake Forest's offensive miscues, scoring 24 points off 17 Deacon turnovers while Wake Forest only managed to score four points off nine Duke turnovers.
Up until the 13:09 mark of the first half, the game was a see-saw battle, with Duke barely holding onto a one-point lead, 13-12. Duke broke away, however, following a short jumper by William Avery and finished the first half on a 28-7 run.
McLeod scored nine points during this decisive run, hitting a key three-point shot, converting a three-point play following a layup and a foul and nailing two free-throw attempts. Langdon also played a key role, hitting two three-pointers during this run.
"Roshown and Trajan are playing first-team All-ACC basketball," Krzyzewski said. "The numbers are misleading. If I left Trajan in the last four minutes of games, his numbers would be higher, especially the way he shoots foul shots."
Also making their presence felt during the Blue Devils' first-half surge were senior swing man Ricky Price and junior big man Taymon Domzalski.
Near the end of the half, Price pulled off a spectacular move, slashing to the lane, switching the ball from his right to left hand in mid-air, making the lefty layup while getting fouled by Wake Forest big man Loren Woods and nailing the free throw to complete a three-point play.
Domzalski also made a splash during his limited time in the lineup. He made a clean block from behind on a Woods drive but was called for goaltending. Nonetheless, his efforts riled up the Cameron crowd.
Defense was the key to the game as freshman forward Shane Battier was a force on the inside, leading the Blue Devils in rebounds (12), blocked shots (2) and steals (2). On the perimeter, Steve Wojciechowski and Trajan Langdon did a solid job blanketing Wake Forest's starting guards, freshman Robert O'Kelley and senior Tony Rutland, holding them to a combined 7-for-23 shooting from the floor.
"I was really pleased with our defense," Krzyzewski said. "I thought Battier played an exceptional basketball game. He was all over the court."
Saturday's contest marked the second game back for Loren Woods, who had been away from the Demon Deacons due to emotional stress. When substituted into the lineup, he was welcomed by the usually hostile Cameron Indoor Stadium with warm applause. Woods played 24 minutes and finished the game with seven points and was a strong presence inside, blocking five shots.
"Woods is a force, especially defensively," Krzyzewski said. "I don't know how many blocks he had but he certainly altered some shots. I can see where, as they get accustomed to him being back, they can take a step up."
In a fitting finish to senior day at Cameron Indoor Stadium, senior walk-on forward Todd Singleton made Duke's last basket, hitting a sweet turnaround jumper with 27.3 seconds left in the contest.
Duke's win over Wake Forest was its second of the season over the Demon Deacons. The first matchup at Winston Salem resulted in a 88-52 spanking, the worst Wake Forest home loss in its history.
This upcoming week will be a challenge, with a tough ACC game away against a physical Clemson team Wednesday, and a Sunday home matchup against No. 10 UCLA.
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