College men’s basketball: Duke survives Juke
Published 1:47 am Sunday, January 26, 2025
- Duke's Tyrese Proctor, right, battles Wake Forest's Ty-Laur Johnson (8) and Cameron Hildreth for a ball during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Winston-Salem, N.C., Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown)
By AARON BEARD AP Basketball Writer
WINSTON-SALEM — Salisbury High grad Juke Harris scored 14 points to lead Wake Forest in Saturday’s loss to Duke.
Star freshman Cooper Flagg had 24 points, seven rebounds and six assists as second-ranked Duke pushed past Wake Forest 63-56 on Saturday.
Fellow freshman Kon Knueppel had 15 points for the Blue Devils (17-2, 9-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), who missed their first 13 shots after halftime and went 1 for 19 through the first 12 minutes of the second half.
That helped Wake Forest rally from 15 down before halftime to push ahead 45-39 on Harris’ basket at the 9:55 mark. Duke responded with seven straight scoring possessions, going up 53-47 on Flagg’s two free throws with 3:53 left.
Harris, a freshman, sparked the Demon Deacons (15-5, 7-2), who had the backing of a loud and festive home crowd eager to storm the court against Duke for the second straight year. This time, they couldn’t close it when Duke wobbled.
Takeaways
Duke: The Blue Devils had yet to play an ACC game closer than 11 points, but responded in a big test.
Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons had won six straight, but missed on adding an impressive win to their NCAA Tournament resume.
Key moment
Flagg stepped up in the key sequence, starting with a faceup jumper. Knueppel followed with a paint score, followed by a pick-and-pop 3 from Mason Gillis.
Flagg handled most of the rest, scoring on a spin move, then beating Tre’Von Spillers off the dribble to throw down a two-handed slam as Duke made its move.
Key stat
Duke’s Tyrese Proctor was 1 of 11 from the field and 0 for 6 from 3-point range before burying a 3-pointer with the shot clock winding down, pushing Duke to a 56-49 lead with 2:18 left.
Up next
The Demon Deacons visit No. 25 Louisville on Tuesday. The Blue Devils host N.C. State on Monday.
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