NCAA News Wire
No. 4 Duke upset by Wake Forest
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — The Wake Forest Demon Deacons kept missing on chances to produce a breakthrough season.
But they made their home finale count.
Forward Tyler Cavanaugh scored six points during Wake Forest’s 17-0 run late in the game and the Demon Deacons shocked the No. 4 Duke Blue Devils 82-72 on Wednesday night at Lawrence Joel Coliseum.
“Better late than never,” embattled Wake Forest coach Jeff Bzdelik said. “I told our guys many times our best moment is yet to come. … I’ll still say that.”
Fans rushed the court to celebrate.
Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski, of Duke, was light-headed after the game and didn’t address the media, though a team spokesman said he’s expected to be OK. Associate head coach Steve Wojciechowski said Krzyzewski went to one knee during a point in the second half because he felt dizzy.
Duke medical staff advised Krzyzewski to skip postgame interviews, a team spokesman said. Wojciechowski addressed media, while assistant coach Jeff Capel handled an interview on the Duke Radio Network.
“We got what we deserved,” Duke guard Tyler Thornton said. “We came out weak and we finished the game weak.”
Duke forward Rodney Hood said it was the first time he recalled Krzyzewski feeling ill during a game. In part, it could have been because of the way Duke played.
“Lack of everything,” Hood said. “Lake of fight. Lake of discipline, teamwork.”
The result came near the end of an up-and-down season for the Demon Deacons, who won only one game in February.
“We haven’t had the type of season we wanted — yet,” senior forward Travis McKie said.
Five players scored in double figures for Wake Forest, which topped a ranked team at home for the second time this season. The other time came Jan. 5 against North Carolina.
McKie scored 19 points in his last regular-season home game. Guard Codi Miller-McIntyre added 13 points, while forward Arnaud-William Adala Moto and guard Coron Williams both scored 12 points for the Demon Deacons.
Forward Jabari Parker scored 19 points for Duke, which led 66-59 with 5 1/2 minutes remaining before a five-minute scoring drought. Hood scored 16 points before fouling out with 1:18 remaining and guard Rasheed Sulaimon had 14 points for the Blue Devils.
Duke (23-7, 12-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) is in fourth place in the ACC, one game behind North Carolina and Syracuse. Still, the Blue Devils meet North Carolina in Saturday night’s regular-season finale and, if they win, they would hold any potential tiebreakers for ACC Tournament seeding with North Carolina and Syracuse (which would have to lose at Florida State for that to matter).
Cavanaugh, a sophomore, scored 12 of his career-high 20 points in the last 7:01 for Wake Forest (16-14, 6-11), which was coming off a home loss to lowly Boston College just four days earlier. Half of Cavanaugh’s points came on free throws.
Sulaimon scored eight points, including a pair of 3-point baskets, in the first five minutes of the second half as the Blue Devils appeared in position to fend off an upset bid.
But Wake Forest, after a pair of McKie free throws, was within 66-63 with less than five minutes to play. Cavanaugh’s jumper followed by his basket off a drive on the next possession put Wake Forest ahead 67-66.
“Wake played with more energy,” Wojciechowski said. “Their kids played with more sense of urgency.”
Miller-McIntyre scored off a Duke turnover and Cavanaugh’s putback made it 71-66.
Duke trailed at halftime for only the second time this season when Wake Forest scored the last seven points of the first half for a 36-33 lead.
Wake Forest bolted to a 14-6 edge. Duke didn’t catch up until going ahead 30-29 on Hood’s two free throws at the 3:10 mark.
Guard Quinn Cook followed with a 3-pointer for Duke, which before that hit only one of 10 shots from 3-point range.
Wake Forest was in a stretch of missing five shots in a row from the field and going 0-for-2 on free throws. But the Demon Deacons scored on their next four possessions.
Parker picked up his second foul with 7:26 left in the first half and sat out until
