Over the next three weeks, The Blue Zone will be counting down the top five performances from each of Duke’s graduating seniors during their collegiate careers. This week, we start with forward Ryan Kelly.
No. 2: Kelly drops 22 against Wake Forest
The date: Jan. 5, 2013
The game: Duke 80, Wake Forest 62
Kelly statline: 22 points on 6-of-9 from the field, including 5-for-7 from 3-point range and 5-for-6 from the free throw line in just 18 minutes played.
The breakdown: In his final game of the 2013 season before injuring his foot against Clemson and sitting for the bulk of ACC play, Kelly scored a then-season-high 22 points in just 18 minutes to propel Duke past the Demon Deacons.
The senior forward fouled out with 7:20 left in the contest, just one point shy of the career-high he had set against Wake Forest only 11 months ago.
While Mason Plumlee failed to assert himself on the inside during the first half, scoring just two points, Kelly's 17 points in the first period carried the Blue Devils to an 11-point halftime lead and an easy victory.
Kelly exhibited his versatility, knocking down outside shots, taking the ball hard to the rim and getting to the free throw line—the aggressive offensive play that Duke would miss dearly over the next 13 games.
The quote: “When you have a guy that hot, you just have to keep feeding him,” Plumlee said.
Previous Kelly performances:
No. 5: Kelly scores 20 points against Wake Forest
No. 4: Kelly wins MVP at the Maui Invitational
No. 3: Kelly puts on a clinic at the free throw line against Georgia Tech
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