Duke Guards Combine for 45 in Win over Wake Forest

DURHAM, N.C. — Freshman guard Shayeann Day-Wilson poured in 22 points alongside transfer Lexi Gordon’s 23 points to rally the Duke women’s basketball team to an 81-76 victory over Wake Forest in Cameron Indoor Stadium on Sunday evening.

This conference matchup marked the first time these two teams squared off since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

The Blue Devils (15-7, 6-6 ACC) shot 56% from distance with Day-Wilson and Gordon hitting seven of Duke’s 10 three-pointers on the night.

Wake Forest (12-11, 2-10 ACC) was led by Sophomore Jewel Spear with 27 points, who also leads the ACC in scoring.

The Demon Deacons started this game on an 11-4 run, a deficit which quickly was eviscerated by Duke when guard Miela Goodchild nailed two three-pointers on back-to-back possessions. Goodchild would finish with nine points and a team-high four dimes.

This game was a back and forth throughout as both teams went on multiple runs and scoreless droughts for extended periods. Duke ended the first half on a 12-2 run as they led at half 36-32.

Out of the halftime break, Wake Forest Junior Olivia Summiel got hot and hit two threes on back-to-back possessions. Summiel, who only hit a total of six threes in her first two years with the team, hit four on the night and would finish with 12 points.

Duke Guard Celeste Taylor shot a poor 2-of-10 from the field in her second game since returning from injury but provided immense energy and effort with stout on-ball defense.

Midway through the third quarter, Day-Wilson and Spear began to trade buckets back and forth with each of them scoring ten points apiece to end the quarter with the Demon Deacons leading 61-60.

Goodchild would nail her third three-pointer to start the fourth quarter while Wake Forest answered with back-to-back buckets from Nikah Becker. Becker was one of four Demon Deacons players to finish in double figures with 12 points.

Gordon came alive, hitting a pair of threes midway through the fourth, giving the Blue Devils a 73-69 lead with 4:53 to play.

Spear would drain a contested three to make it a one-possession game with 3:10 left but Gordon immediately responded with a dagger three-pointer on the ensuing possession, extending the Duke lead to six. Gordon would score 11 of her 23 points in the final quarter.

The Blue Devils host Florida State for another ACC matchup on Thursday (Feb. 10) in Cameron Indoor Stadium on ACC Network Extra.