In Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the Duke Blue Devils clinched a commanding victory over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons with a score of 72-47 on Thursday evening. Freshman standout Toby Fournier was instrumental in the win, contributing 17 points, while Oluchi Okananwa added another 15 to the scoreboard.
This victory marked Duke’s 20th win of the season, solidifying their record at 20-5 and 11-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The team has now achieved 20 wins for three consecutive seasons, creating a strong foundation as they approach the final five games of the regular season. Notably, this was the Blue Devils’ tenth victory in their last eleven matchups against Wake Forest.
Wake Forest struggled significantly throughout the game, committing a staggering 33 turnovers that Duke capitalized on for 41 points. Although Duke only held a narrow 29-19 lead at halftime, the mounting turnovers highlighted the Demon Deacons’ difficulties on the court, as they recorded 20 of those turnovers in the first half alone.
Fournier cemented Duke’s lead with just under six minutes left in the second half, establishing a double-digit advantage that Duke maintained until the final whistle. Okananwa expanded the lead to 46-28 as the third quarter concluded, and from that point, the Blue Devils never saw their lead drop below 17 points.
In contrast, Ashlon Jackson, who typically averages 13 points per game, was held to only 7 points on Thursday, making 2 of 7 shots while also dishing out a personal best of seven assists. Reigan Richardson, with an average of 10.1 points per game, struggled as well, finishing with just four points and going 2 of 7 from the field.
For Wake Forest, Rylie Theuerkauf ended the night with 11 points as the team faced its fourth consecutive defeat, leaving their record at 8-16 overall and 1-12 in the ACC.
As their schedule continues, Duke will enjoy a weekend break before challenging the No. 2 ranked Notre Dame on Monday, while Wake Forest prepares for a matchup against the No. 19 Georgia Tech on Sunday.
