National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Duke 99, Wake Forest 94
When: 1:00 PM ET, Saturday, February 18, 2017
Where: Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham, North Carolina
Officials: # Jamie Luckie, # Tony Greene, # Jerry Heater
Attendance: 9314

DURHAM, N.C. -- Even with six players scoring in double figures and breaking out from some recent low offensive numbers, it came down to defense for No. 12 Duke on Saturday.

The Blue Devils thwarted three consecutive Wake Forest possessions in the final minute, pulling out a 99-94 victory at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

"The last few possessions, we did (the job defensively)," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "Down the stretch, we had some big-time defensive rebounds."

Luke Kennard scored 23 points as Duke pushed its winning streak to seven games after clinging to a one-point lead late in the game.

Duke swept the season series from Wake Forest, with both outcomes determined in the final seconds.

"They’re an explosive offensive team," Krzyzewski said. "We tried to stop them from driving and take them off the foul line."

Jayson Tatum added 19 points, Amile Jefferson had 16 points, Frank Jackson notched 12 points, Grayson Allen scored 11 and Matt Jones supplied 10 for the Blue Devils (22-5, 10-4 in the Atlantic Coast Conference), who shot 59 percent from the field.

Sophomore forward John Collins scored a career-high 31 points to go with 15 rebounds for the Demon Deacons. Bryant Crawford added 21 points, Keyshawn Woods tallied 13 points and Brandon Childress had 10 points for Wake Forest (15-12, 6-9).

The Demon Deacons have lost in their last 18 visits to Cameron Indoor Stadium, although this one was at least dramatic.

"We gave ourselves a chance to have some success," Wake Forest coach Danny Manning said after watching Duke sink 13 3-point shots. "We have to do a better job of going out and guarding and contesting at the 3-point line."

Neither team led by more than four points until Jackson scored back-to-back baskets for a 60-54 edge with less than 16 minutes to play. That was part of a 9-0 run that put Duke up 63-54 before creating a 12-point lead with 12 minutes remaining.

But Wake Forest hit 7 of 9 shots to pull within 79-75.

"That's what you're supposed to do when you get down," Manning said. "You fight and grind."

The Demon Deacons closed an 89-81 gap to 91-90 with 2:29 to play with three consecutive three-point possessions.

Kennard responded with a layup before Crawford's drive. With 1:02 left, Allen missed the front end of a 1-and-1, but Crawford's shot off a drive rolled off the rim to keep the score at 93-92.

Tatum converted both ends of a 1-and-1 with 31.1 seconds to play. Then Crawford failed to get the ball to drop on his next drive.

Jefferson made two foul shots with 14.1 seconds remaining to help seal the result.

"For us to turn it up a notch in the second half was really, really good," Krzyzewski said. "We played with greater hunger. Winning is difficult because you have to be hungry all the time."

The teams played to a 47-47 halftime tie, with Duke shooting 62.1 percent from the field with seven 3-point baskets.

There were 14 first-half lead changes. The game was tied 40-40 before Allen scored for the first time, hitting a 3-pointer with 2:06 to play in the half.

The offensive burst was a relief for Duke, which was coming off its two lowest-scoring games of the season, beating Clemson 64-62 and Virginia 65-55.

Collins had 16 points by halftime, on his way to reaching the 20-point mark for the 10th consecutive game. However, he picked up his second foul with less than a second remaining in the half, with Allen hitting two free throws.

NOTES: Duke needed G Luke Kennard's winning 3-pointer for an 85-83 victory in the first meeting this season. ... Wake Forest hasn't defeated a ranked team on the road since 2010, a string of 18 losses in that category. ... G Mitchell Wilbekin of Wake Forest didn't play because of an ankle injury sustained in practice. ... Wake Forest was denied its third ACC road victory, something that hasn't happened since 2008-09 and there's only one more chance. ... Jeff Capel Sr., a former Old Dominion coach, one-time Wake Forest assistant and father to Duke assistant Jeff Capel, sat next to his son on the Blue Devils' bench Saturday. The elder Capel has been diagnosed with ALS. ... Duke is back in action Wednesday night at Syracuse. ... Wake Forest also plays Wednesday in a home game against Pittsburgh.
Top Game Performances
 
Wake Forest   Duke
John Collins 31 Scoring Luke Kennard 23
Bryant Crawford 6 Assists Grayson Allen 6
John Collins 15 Rebounds Amile Jefferson 7
John Collins 5 Free Throws Made Jayson Tatum 4
Bryant Crawford 3 Steals Matt Jones 1
Doral Moore 1 Blocks Amile Jefferson 5
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Wake Forest 94 50.7 5-15 19-23 15 32 1 4 4
Duke 99 59.0 13-27 14-16 19 28 5 1 7