WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — On an unusual night when squeaking shoes were often louder than screaming fans in Winston-Salem, what might have been a late-season tune-up for the Blue Devils nearly became a trap as Wake Forest’s late 19-2 run erased a 23-point Duke lead in the second half.
With just one regular season game remaining—a paramount matchup against rival North Carolina with the regular season ACC title on the line—No. 4 Duke fought to a 79-71 victory over Wake Forest Tuesday. Although the Blue Devils entered the contest on short rest after playing two games in the previous five days, the game allowed some of Duke’s struggling stars to reassert themselves, which could prove crucial for a team whose identity has been constantly in flux.
“I’ve always tried to figure out who I have and then figure out what’s best for that group. With this team we’re doing it every day,” Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “The neat thing is they’ve played hard. They’re getting better. They have a will to win.”
An easy first half, after which the Blue Devils held a 39-28 lead thanks to forcing eight Demon Deacon turnovers, provided opportunities for the fading Ryan Kelly and Quinn Cook to regain some of their prior confidence. Despite being third on the team in scoring, Kelly has struggled following Duke’s comeback victory over the Tar Heels three weeks ago, scoring just 16 total points in his next three games.
After struggling again against Virginia Tech Saturday, Kelly rediscovered his shot in Winston-Salem. Kelly scored nine points in the first half alone—besting his scoring total in four of his last five games—making use of his mid-range jumper to create matchup problems for Wake Forest while also hitting both of his 3-point shots. The junior finished the night 4-for-5 from 3-point range and scored 23 points, a career high.
“It’s part of basketball,” Kelly said of his cold stretch. “I feel like I’m going to make my shots when I take them. It always feels good for something to go in, but they’re going to go in at some point.”
Cook, meanwhile, had nearly fallen out of the Blue Devil rotation after starting four straight games in January, re-emerging only briefly in Duke’s home loss to Miami with eight points and four assists in 28 minutes.
While much of that shift can be attributed to the emergence of sophomore Tyler Thornton as the Blue Devils’ best perimeter defender and floor general, Cook’s propensity to force contested shots certainly did not help. But against the Demon Deacons, the freshman used extra playing time to regain his composure, dishing out three assists in the first half alone while committing only one turnover in that period.
Cook continued his intelligent play in the second half. On one early fastbreak attempt, the freshman adeptly pulled the ball out instead of attacking multiple defenders as he might have attempted earlier in the season. Instead, his rocket dish to Mason Plumlee allowed the forward to earn two free throws.
“Quinn Cook was a huge asset for us,” Krzyzewski said. “Maybe him starting a few games for us in January gave him that experience.”
With 12 minutes to go, it was Cook who found Kelly on the perimeter for an open 3-pointer that extended the Blue Devil lead to 23 points. That’s a combination Duke fans have not seen consistently in over a month—but should both players maintain the level of play they exhibited against Wake Forest Wednesday, it could add crucial weapons to Krzyzewski’s arsenal down the stretch.
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