FINAL: Duke 82, Wake Forest 51:
It's on to the next round for the Blue Devils, who survived Jasmine Thomas's injury scare and blew out the Demon Deacons by 29 points. Duke will play tomorrow at 1 p.m. against No. 5 seed Georgia Tech (23-9).
6:23 2nd Half: Duke 66, Wake Forest 39:
It's an absolute shooting gallery here in Greensboro as Tricia Liston and Chloe Wells both connect from behind the arc. The Demon Deacons have been generally playing solid defense and have pressured the Duke shooters, but the Blue Devils, at 9-for-16 from long range, are making their shots.
9:52 2nd Half: Duke 53, Wake Forest 35:
Chelsea Gray answered the bell, drilling two deep 3-pointers to effectively bury the Demon Deacons. Gray only has eight points on the day, but the last six were pivotal in changing the momentum of the game.
11:33 2nd Half: Duke 47, Wake Forest 35:
Five quick points from two silky Sandra Garcia jumpers has Wake Forest within 12 and the fan contingent from just a few miles to the west on their feet. The Demon Deacons are doing their best to stick around, but Wake Forest will have to get defensive stops at this point, as the Deacs can't simply trade baskets with Duke.
15:43 2nd Half: Duke 39, Wake Forest 25:
Both teams have played a sloppy brand of basketball to begin the second period, and a 6-2 run by Wake Forest has made the scoreline look more respectable than it really is.
Often times when a juggernaut plays a weak team, it's tough for the elite squad to hold themselves to the same higg standards. Senior Jasmine Thomas simply isn't allowing for that here today against the Demon Deacons. The efficiency with which Thomas runs the show--she only ever verbally calls plays once--keeps her younger teammates working hard, even when Duke's up by 14.nseJasmine Thomas
Halftime: Duke 37, Wake Forest 19:
Since the game's certainly in hand for head coach Joanne P. McCallie, it will be interesting to see how she manages her players in the second half. Blue Devils fans already suffered a scare in the first half with Jasmine Thomas's knee injury.
2:29 1st Half: Duke 33, Wake Forest 17:
Wake Forest head coach Mike Petersen has likely had his share of frustration on the sidelines this season, but he's never afraid to show just how he's feeling. After sophomore forward Sandra Garcia missed an assignment defensively and allowed Duke to score, Petersen called a timeout, and above a relatively lively Greensboro Coliseum crowd, shouted 'Sandra, Sandra! Be better!'
6:04 1st Half: Duke 30, Wake Forest 11:
Duke's defense is suffocating Wake Forest right now and the Demon Deacons haven't scored for almost six minutes. Coming into today there was much speculation about the health of freshman Chelsea Gray, but Gray has gotten some minutes already today. Gray's wearing a brace and a lot of tape on her left ankle, which she sprained against Virginia Tech earlier this year. Gray doesn't look to be in rhythm shooting the ball, but she's already made two excellent passes for assists.
8:04 1st Half: Duke 24, Wake Forest 11:
Crisis averted? Jasmine Thomas has returned to the game with her left knee heavily taped up. She doesn't seem to be favoring the knee, and her mobility looks unimpaired.
10:22 1st Half: Duke 22, Wake Forest 11:
On the court, the Blue Devils are persevering without their leader and have extended the Duke lead to 11. Of more interest, perhaps, is the stellar show being put on by the Tournament staff during timeouts. In the latest media break, ACC staff brought out a gatling-gun style t-shirt launcher that fired out freebies at high velocity across the stadium. This truly is one of the best venues you'll ever find, evidenced by the players-only videogame arcade area located just a few paces from the locker rooms.
13:29 1st Half: Duke 12, Wake Forest 6:
The worst thing that can happen at this point of the season would be an injury, and the Blue Devils may be facing just that predicament. Jasmine Thomas was sent crashing to the floor with an apparent knee injury, and though she walked off the court under her own power, Thomas went straight back to the locker room.
15:56 1st Half: Duke 5, Wake Forest 4:
Brittany Waters scored two quick buckets for the Demon Deacons by aggressively driving to the hoop through a scattered Blue Devil defense. Since head coach Joanne P. McCallie inserted Haley Peters into the lineup, however, the Duke defense has been much more solid. Peters has provided on offense as well, and Wake Forest is going to have to prove they can stick around over the next five minutes if they have any chance.
Hello and welcome from Greensboro, North Carolina and the 2011 ACC Tournament second round. The No. 1 seeded Duke Blue Devils (26-3) will face Wake Forest (15-16), after the Demon Deacons advanced past Virginia in the first round. The last time these two teams met, February 11 in Winston-Salem, Duke had four starters score double-digit points and the Blue Devils demolished Wake Forest by 43, winning 82-39. The Demon Deacons will have to fight through fatigue and shoot the lights out if they hope to compete.
Pregame, senior Jasmine Thomas was awarded the Kay Yow scholar-athlete award.
Starting Lineups:
For Wake Forest:
Chelsea Douglas, Lakevia Boykin, Mykala Walker, Sandra Garcia, Brittany Waters
For Duke:
Shay Selby, Jasmine Thomas, Karima Christmas, Allison Vernerey, Krystal Thomas.
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