Wake Forest University
Duke
Wake Forest Falls To Top Ranked Duke, 77-45
2/11/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 11, 2007
Final Stats | Quotes | Notes
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) -Lindsey Harding and Joy Cheek scored 13 points apiece and top-ranked Duke overcame a sputtering offense to remain the nation's only unbeaten team with a 77-45 win over Wake Forest on Sunday.
Wanisha Smith added 11 points for the Blue Devils (26-0, 11-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), who beat the Demon Deacons for the 30th consecutive time.
Three days after knocking off archrival and No. 2 North Carolina in an emotional battle of unbeatens, the Blue Devils looked sluggish for more than a half against the last-place Demon Deacons. Duke shot 34 percent and made only 5 of 17 3-pointers, drawing the ire of coach Gail Goestenkors.
After Corinne Groves made back-to-back jumpers to start the second half to pull Wake Forest to 35-24, Goestenkors called a timeout and screamed at forward Carrem Gay as she ordered her players to sit on the bench.
Three minutes later, the Demon Deacons got within 37-29 on Alex Tchangoue's 3, while Duke leading rebounder Alison Bales was on the bench with four fouls.
However, Duke scored the next eight points to regain control, part of a game-ending 40-16 run as the Blue Devils won their 68th straight game against unranked teams.
Tchangoue and Groves scored 15 points each and Groves added 10 rebounds for the Demon Deacons (9-15, 0-10), who last beat Duke in the 1993 ACC tournament.
Alternating between man-to-man and zone defenses sprinkled with halfcourt traps, Duke frustrated Wake Forest, the ACC's lowest scoring team coming into the game at 58.3 points per game. Wake Forest shot 30 percent and committed 19 turnovers.
Duke built a 35-20 halftime lead in spite of its offensive woes. The Blue Devils shot 33 percent in the first half, but made 13 of 16 free throws and took advantage of 14 Wake Forest turnovers.
Leading scorer Yolanda Lavender scored 12 points, but shot 5-for-20 for Wake Forest, which has lost four straight and 13 of 14.
