By AARON BEARD AP Basketball Writer
Cameron Boozer scored 32 points to lead fifth-ranked Duke’s dominating interior play that helped the Blue Devils beat Wake Forest 90-69 on Saturday.
The star freshman big man made 11 of 20 shots to go with nine rebounds and four assists, controlling large stretches with his scoring and his playmaking ability to passing out of oncoming double teams.
And with the 6-foot-9, 250-pound forward in charge, Duke (18-1, 7-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) outscored its longtime instate league foe 48-16 in the paint. The Blue Devils also outrebounded the Demon Deacons by 21 and finished with a 18-7 edge in second-chance points.
It marked Boozer’s fourth output of at least 30 points this season, while Duke shot 50% overall.
Patrick Ngongba II added 13 points and seven rebounds for Duke, which was coming off a two-game sweep in its first cross-country league trip — winning by 15 at California and 30 at Stanford.
Juke Harris scored 20 of his 23 points after halftime for the Demon Deacons (11-9, 2-5), who have lost six of eight. Wake Forest led for the first 13-plus minutes and made 14 3-pointers, but a 13-0 burst pushed Duke to a double-digit lead late in the first half and Wake Forest got no closer than nine in the opening minute of the second half.
Wake Forest shot 40.7% for the game.
The Demon Deacons have lost 27 straight games at Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium since their last win in 1997 during program great and eventual longtime NBA star Tim Duncan’s senior season.
The game tipped off at noon, moved up from a scheduled 5:45 p.m. start time, due to concerns about the forecast of an approaching winter storm.
Up next
Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons visit Pittsburgh on Tuesday.
Duke: The Blue Devils host No. 23 Louisville on Monday.