Wake Forest Athletics
Blue Devils Edge Wake Forest, 82-72
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
January 13, 1999
By JOE MACENKA
AP Sports Writer
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) - Duke's run of ACC blowouts ended Wednesday night when the second-ranked Blue Devils needed a strong finish defensively and 26 points from Trajan Langdon for an 82-72 victory over Wake Forest.
William Avery added 19 points and Chris Carrawell had 11 as the Blue Devils (16-1, 5-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) won their 11th consecutive game. This one, however, looked nothing like the others in the streak.
Duke had won its previous two games by 41 and 46 points and came to Wake Forest with the largest average margin of victory in the nation - 29 points.
The Demon Deacons (11-5, 2-2) got 22 points from Robert O'Kelley in their bid for a second consecutive victory over a Top 25 team. Wake Forest shot 57 percent in the second half Saturday for a 64-61 victory over then-No. 21 Clemson, and the Demon Deacons held Duke 14 points below its Division I-leading average of 96 points.
Duke limited Wake Forest to just 2-of-10 shooting over the last 4 1/2 minutes, but the Blue Devils hurt themselves by missing eight of 14 free throws over the final 1:42.
It was Duke's smallest winning margin since a 73-67 victory over Michigan State on Dec. 2, the game that started the Blue Devils' winning streak.
The Blue Devils appeared to take control with a 17-4 run midway through the first half that helped them push their lead to 15. But Wake Forest responded by scoring on seven of eight possessions, and the Demon Deacons used some timely perimeter shooting to keep it close well into the second half.
O'Kelley's 3-pointer from the left wing cut Duke's lead to 71-65 with 4:57 remaining before the Blue Devils began to assert themselves.
Langdon answered with a 25-footer from the top of the key, Shane Battier added two free throws and Duke clamped down defensively on the Demon Deacons.
After O'Kelley's 3-pointer, Wake Forest missed its next four shots and turned it over once, holding the Demon Deacons scoreless until Craig Dawson's 3-pointer made it 76-68 with 67 seconds left.
Wake Forest also got 14 points from Dawson, 13 from Rafael Vidaurreta and 12 from Darius Songaila.
