Wake Forest University
Duke
Wake Forest Edged by No. 10 Duke 70-63
1/4/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Final Stats | Final Stats (PDF) 
By Erika Carrubba, Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeWBB)
DURHAM, N.C. - Wake Forest battled No. 10 Duke on Sunday at Cameron Indoor Stadium but came up just short, falling to the Blue Devils 70-63.
Three Demon Deacons (9-6, 0-1 ACC) scored in double figures led by Dearica Hamby with 11 points and nine rebounds. Ataijah Taylor tied her season-high with 11 points and set a new career high with eight assists. She also grabbed three steals and three rebounds. Nicole Floyd chipped in with 11 points.
Wake Forest started the game on fire, opening up a 10-0 run through the first four and a half minutes of play. Wake Forest controlled the paint early, scoring eight of the first 10 points down low.
Taylor took a charge on the defensive end and the point guard quickly found Taylor Gordon for a three-pointer to give Wake Forest a 26-10 lead with 10:27 on the clock. It was the biggest lead of the day for the Demon Deacons.
Duke went on a 12-2 run that took nearly five minutes off the clock and cut Wake Forest's lead to 28-22. Amber Campbell temporarily halted the run with a layup and a chance at the three-point play but missed the free throw. Duke continued to chip away at the lead, pulling within one with 24 seconds left in the half when Rebecca Greenwell made two from the foul line. The Blue Devils then stole the inbound pass and Chidom Oderah scored to give Duke its first lead of the day, 34-33 at the break.
The second half started with a 12-1 run for the Blue Devils. Duke led by as many as 15 in the second half, 53-38, with 12:44 remaining.
Taylor scored on a fast break to cut Duke's lead back to single digits, 62-53 with 8:44 to play in the game. Millesa Calicott scored on a jumper in the paint and a three pointer from the right corner to make it a 64-58 game with just under six minutes to play.
Duke had an answer for every Wake Forest bucket down the stretch. Calicott drained her second three pointer of the game to get Wake Forest within four, 67-63 with 2:20 left in the game. The Demon Deacons missed two three pointers and were forced to foul. Duke went 3-of-4 from the foul line in the final minute to hold on for the 70-63 win.
Wake Forest held the edge in points off turnovers, 25-18, and second-chance points, 11-8.
Calicott and Gordon each finished with eight points and Milan Quinn had a big second half with six points and five rebounds.
NOTES:
• Ataijah Taylor had a career-high eight assists and tied her season high with 11 points.
• Duke has won the last 41 meetings with Wake Forest with the last Demon Deacon win coming in the 1993 ACC Tournament.
• Dearica Hamby finished one rebound short of a double-double with 11 points and nine boards.
• Nicole Floyd scored in double figures for the fifth time in the last six games.
UP NEXT:
• Wake Forest travels to Charlottesville to face Virginia on Jan. 8.
• Tip-off at 7 p.m. at JPJ Arena.
• The Cavaliers lead the all-time series 64-5, including a 29-2 record in Charlottesville, Va.
• Wake Forest last traveled to Virginia on Feb. 25, 2013 and beat the Cavaliers 73-68.
