ACC Basketball Recap: Duke 90, Wake Forest 69

The takeaway: No. 5 Duke put together a complete performance — physical inside play, offensive rebounding and stingy defense — and turned a tight early game into a one-sided win. Cameron Boozer carried the Blue Devils in the second half, finishing with 32 points and nine rebounds as Duke pulled away behind dominant paint work and an overwhelming rebounding edge. (Duke University)

Score & line

• Final: Duke 90, Wake Forest 69. (Halftime: Duke 42, Wake Forest 31.) (ESPN.com)
• Records after the game: Duke 18–1 (7–0 ACC); Wake Forest 11–9 (2–5 ACC). (Duke University)

Key stats

• Team numbers (Duke): 31-62 FG (50.0%), 7-25 3PT (28.0%), 21-24 FT (87.5%), 43 rebounds (16 offensive), 16 assists, 8 turnovers. Duke also poured in 48 points in the paint. (Duke University)
• Team numbers (Wake): 19-58 FG (32.8%), 6-16 3PT (37.5%), 16-20 FT (80.0%), 22 rebounds. Wake connected on a surprising number of threes but struggled inside and on the offensive glass. (Duke University)

Top individual lines:

• Cameron Boozer (Duke): 32 points, 9 rebounds — 11-for-20 FG, 3 triples, 7-for-7 free throws; 22 of his points came after halftime as he took over the game. (Reuters)
• Patrick Ngongba II (Duke): 13 points, 7 rebounds. (Duke Basketball Report)
• Isaiah Evans (Duke): 11 points and steady perimeter play. (Duke University)
• Juke Harris (Wake): Team-high 23 points — fought hard and kept Wake within reach early. (Duke Basketball Report)

Game flow — the moments that mattered

• Early Wake run, then Duke answers: Wake Forest started the game hot from deep and led early, but Duke answered with toughness inside and a late first-half surge. A 16–2 run to close the first half turned a single-digit game into a sizable halftime cushion for the Blue Devils. From there Duke’s size and finishing edged Wake repeatedly. (Duke Basketball Report)
• Boozer takeover in the second half: Boozer poured in 22 second-half points, turning a well-timed post move and a three-point play into a 10–0 run that put the game out of reach after Wake had trimmed the margin. His inside dominance forced Wake to rotate help defenders and opened looks for Duke’s role players. (Reuters)
• Rebounding and second-chance points: Duke’s 43–22 advantage on the glass — including 16 offensive rebounds — created extra possessions that turned into points and wore down Wake’s defense. Those second-chance buckets and putbacks were a recurring theme all night. (Duke University)
• Perimeter vs. paint contrast: Wake hit a lot of outside shots (14 threes on various reporting), but conversion issues on two-point attempts and poor rim finishing (Wake was just 8-of-22 on two-point attempts in some stretches) magnified the damage from Duke’s dominance inside. In short: Wake’s perimeter scoring couldn’t overcome Duke’s paint control. (Blogger So Dear)

Player notes & lineup context

• Boozer’s inside presence: Tonight may be the best single-game showcase of Boozer’s two-way impact this season — scoring, rebounding, free-throw efficiency and a few hustle plays (offensive putbacks and charges drawn) that swung momentum. Duke’s coaches leaned on him late to finish possessions and close space. (Duke University)
• Supporting cast: Patrick Ngongba II and Isaiah Evans supplied timely buckets and spacing; Duke’s bench added 21 points and helped keep the pressure on Wake when starters rested. The Blue Devils’ assist numbers show the ball was moving when needed. (Duke University)
• Wake Forest effort: Juke Harris carried the scoring load and hit tough shots throughout, and Cooper Schwieger made contributions on the boards, but Wake’s lack of interior size and the rebounding mismatch made it difficult to sustain a comeback. (Duke Basketball Report)

Why Duke won

• Dominance on the glass: The 43–22 rebounding edge, especially the 16 offensive rebounds, translated into second-chance points and control of the game’s tempo. That margin alone forced Wake to play from behind. (Duke University)
• Finishing at the rim & free-throw line: Duke converted at the rim and at the line (21-for-24), while Wake missed too many two-point attempts; Duke turned contact into points and didn’t let Wake’s perimeter success dictate the scoreboard. (Duke University)
• Star takeovers at the right time: Boozer’s second-half outburst — combined with disciplined team defense — created separation and prevented Wake from building sustained momentum. (Reuters)

Quick look ahead

Duke stays perfect in ACC play at 7–0 and will look to keep its conference roll going as it prepares for its next opponent at home. Wake Forest falls to 2–5 in league play and will head into a stretch of games that will test its ability to defend the paint and close the rebounding gap. (Duke University)