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Cavanaugh leads Wake Forest in upset of No. 4 Duke

Mar 6, 2014 - 2:19 PM Winston-Salem, NC (SportsNetwork.com) - Tyler Cavanaugh scored 20 points and led a huge late run that propelled Wake Forest to a stunning 82-72 upset of No. 4 Duke at Lawrence Joel Coliseum.

Fourteen of Cavanaugh's points came in the second half, and six were tallied during a 17-0 tear that turned a seven-point deficit into a 76-66 Demon Deacons' lead entering the game's final minute.

Travis McKie, playing in his last home game, added 19 points to help Wake Forest (16-14, 6-11 ACC) -- losers of eight of its last nine coming in -- pull off its first victory over the Blue Devils since the 2008-09 season.

"It doesn't get much better than this," said McKie. "The energy in here was great and the team effort was amazing. We did whatever it took to win and look what happened; we beat the No. 4 team in the nation."

Strong defense played a role in the outcome as well, with the Deacons holding the Blue Devils to a 6-of-27 shooting rate from 3-point range and forcing 15 turnovers that were converted into 15 points.

"I think the story for us is that we did not defend or rebound to the level that you need to in order to win in March," Duke associate head coach Steve Wojciechowski said.

Jabari Parker posted 19 points and 10 rebounds for Duke (23-7, 12-5), with Rodney Hood finishing with 16 points and Rasheed Sulaimon recording 14 in the loss.

Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski experienced lightheadedness during and after the game. Krzyzewski proceeded to skip his postgame news conference while getting treatment and was eventually cleared.

"Coach Krzyzewski experienced lightheadedness during and after the Duke-Wake Forest game on Wednesday night," said Duke Athletics in a statement early Thursday morning. "Following the contest, he was examined by Duke medical personnel on site and again at Duke University Hospital for precautionary tests upon returning to Durham. His symptoms and condition have improved considerably, and Coach Krzyzewski was sent home during the early morning hours on Thursday."

The Blue Devils appeared well on their way to a ninth consecutive win in the series after Parker's dunk with 5:44 to play put Wake Forest in a 66-59 hole. Duke didn't make another field goal for the next five minutes, though, as the Demon Deacons dominated on both ends of the floor to reverse the momentum.

Back-to-back buckets by Cavanaugh sent Wake Forest ahead, and Coron Williams' pick-pocketed Sulaimon on the ensuing possession to set up Miller-McIntyre's transition layup that extended the margin to 69-66 with three minutes left.

Duke's next trip down the court ended in Quinn Cook being rejected by Devin Thomas, with Cavanaugh hitting a left-handed layup on the other end to increase the lead to five.

The Blue Devils continued their offensive cold spell, missing two more shots before Wake sealed the upset on Williams' layup off a Miller-MacIntyre steal, putting the Deacons up 76-66 with 1:08 to go.

"We have worked extremely hard defensively over the last couple of days," Wake Forest head coach Jeff Bzdelik stated. "We did a really good job, we really did. We worked on their offense and what they do against a zone. We worked very hard. Our guys communicated well and anticipated well."

Down by three at intermission, Duke began the second half with a 15-7 run that Sulaimon capped with five straight points to grab a 48-43 edge with 15 minutes left. Wake kept it close, pulling within 60-57 on a McKie trey with 8:19 remaining, but the Blue Devils put up baskets on three straight offensive sets to build a seven-point cushion following Parker's aforementioned slam.

The Blue Devils, returning from an eight-day layoff, also were sluggish offensively throughout much of the opening half. Duke's first six possessions resulted in five missed shots and three turnovers, and the Demon Deacons jumped out to a 14-6 advantage seven minutes in behind an early 5-0 run.

"I am not sure with the week off that we were as prepared from an emotional standpoint," said Wojciechowski. "When you are in five games in 11 days and you are in constant competition, you have an edge that is required. When you step away from that you can lose it, and I do not know if our guys had the needed edge to compete against a Wake Forest team that played their hearts out."

Duke didn't take its first lead of the night until Hood sank two free throws with 3:10 to go in the half, part of a 10-0 burst in which he and Cook each put up five points. Cook followed with a deep three to cap the spurt and give the Blue Devils a 33-29 edge.

Wake Forest responded with a 7-0 surge, ignited by back-to-back buckets from Williams and Miller-McIntyre, to close out the period, with Miller-McIntyre's layup off a Duke turnover just before the buzzer sending the Deacons into the break up by a 36-33 count.

It was just the second time the Blue Devils trailed at the half all season, with the other being their memorable overtime loss at Syracuse on Feb. 1.

Game Notes

The Demon Deacons had lost eight straight to Duke, including an 83-63 shellacking at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Feb. 4, since a 70-68 decision over the Blue Devils in Winston-Salem on Jan. 28, 2009 ... Parker's double-double was his ACC-leading 13th of the season and fifth straight ... Wake Forest went 25-of-34 from the foul line, compared to a 12-of-18 showing for Duke, with McKie making nine of his 10 attempts from the stripe ... The Blue Devils wrap up their regular season at home against rival North Carolina on Saturday.