A 3-pointer from Luke Kennard with 6.6 seconds remaining gave Duke its first lead of the second half and an 85-83 victory at Wake Forest Saturday after the Blue Devils had trailed by 10 points with four minutes left.
Revisiting the three keys to the game:
- Get Kennard going again: This certainly happened Saturday, as the Duke offense completely ran through the sophomore who dropped 34 points—30 of them in the second half—and shot a perfect 10-of-10 after the break. After a few slow games for the Blue Devils' top offensive weapon, he made a statement against Wake Forest with his dominance on offense and picked up four assists and four rebounds as well. Despite struggling from the free-throw line, shooting 6-for-10, this game was a positive sign for Kennard and the team.
- Become road warriors: After being outscored by 39 and going 0-3 in road ACC games entering the day, Duke found some of the success it has been looking for away from Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils made an impressive comeback to silence the crowd and steal the victory, and they showed they can overcome adversity even when they are not playing at home.
- Consistent defense: This was a struggle for Duke, which once again had to deal with foul trouble early on in the game. Freshman Jayson Tatum fouled out after playing only 21 minutes with 8 points, and Amile Jefferson, Grayson Allen, Harry Giles and Antonio Vrankovic all had four fouls as well. In addition, the team only came up with two steals and two blocks, but clamped down when it mattered most in the final four minutes.
Three key stats:
- Wake Forest shoots 30 percent from 3-point range: Duke has been able to keep most of its opponents this year to poor percentages from beyond the arc, showing its strength in perimeter defense, and Saturday was no exception. The sharpshooting Demon Deacons attempted 20 triples but shot well below their season average of 37.8 percent. Led by senior captain Matt Jones, the Blue Devil guards have been in the faces of shooters on opposing teams throughout the season.
- Duke commits 30 personal fouls: This has been an issue for the Blue Devils all season, but having five players with at least four personal fouls was a glaring problem for the caliber of team that Duke is. The Blue Devils have had difficulty playing hard defense without fouling, and although they do not want to give up easy buckets, they are hurt by having players foul out of the game or go to the bench due to early foul trouble. Wake Forest stayed in front for much of the night by shooting 25-of-32 from the free-throw line.
- Grayson Allen and Luke Kennard combined for a 64.7 percent 3-point percentage: Allen went 5-for-11 and Kennard was perfect on his six attempts from beyond the arc, giving the guard duo a combined 11 makes on their 17 3-point attempts. This was an encouraging sign for two players who had gone cold during the Blue Devils' slump recently.
Three key plays:
- 0:55 remaining, second half: Allen made his fifth 3-pointer of the game off an assist from Frank Jackson, cutting the Wake Forest lead from 83-79 to 83-82. The junior guard bounced back from a scuffle near the Duke bench with about five minutes remaining to drill one of the biggest shots of the game.
- 0:07 remaining, second half: Jones dished a pass to Kennard curling off a screen on the right wing before he finished off the Demon Deacons with a long ball to put the Blue Devils in front. His shot stunned the Demon Deacons' home crowd after their team had been leading for the entire half up to that point.
- 0:01 remaining, second half: With Wake Forest guard Bryant Crawford driving down the lane to try to tie up the game on the final possession, Giles moved his feet to stay with Crawford and got his fingertips on the runner for a block to seal the victory.
And the Duke game ball goes to.... Luke Kennard
There is no question about who deserves this for the Blue Devils. Kennard singlehandedly brought Duke back with a number of clutch shots, knocking down every shot he took in the second half after spending some of the first half on the bench in foul trouble. He scored 12 of the Blue Devils' last 15 points and also made plenty of good decisions with the ball, as he shot 11-of-14 on the day and came up with four assists.
And the Wake Forest game ball goes to.... Bryant Crawford
The 6-foot-3 sophomore guard had an impressive day as well, scoring a career-high 26 points on 15 shots from the field. He was automatic from the charity stripe, making all 15 of his attempts from the line, and he also pulled down six boards and dished out four assists. Crawford was the primary reason Wake Forest had the lead for most of the game.
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