Baker's career night powers No. 4 Duke past Wofford
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) Joey Baker had career highs of 22 points and five 3-pointers to help fourth-ranked Duke beat Wofford 86-57 on Thursday night.
The 6-foot-7 sophomore hit all of his 3s after halftime while the hot-shooting Blue Devils stretched their lead. Freshman Vernon Carey Jr. added 20 points and 10 rebounds for Duke (10-1), which shot 54% in its return from a nearly two-week pause in the schedule.
The Blue Devils played without starting point guard Tre Jones due to what the school described as a ''mild sprain'' in his left foot from a recent practice. In a release, coach Mike Krzyzewski said the decision to hold Jones out was ''out of an abundance of caution'' and that the team believes it is a ''minor'' issue.
It didn't keep Duke from a lopsided win over a Wofford team that beat North Carolina over the weekend. The 6-10 Carey scored over defenders and off the glass, and Baker got hot after a five-point first half. Baker's night was highlighted by two 3-pointers to give Duke a 52-30 lead with 14:17 left that led the Terriers to call a timeout in a game that had already gotten away.
Tray Hollowell scored 17 points to lead the Terriers (7-5). They shot just 35.5% despite hitting 10 3-pointers.
BIG PICTURE
Wofford: The Terriers were chasing a memorable two-game stretch in the state of North Carolina by sweeping a set against UNC and Duke. The Terriers beat the Tar Heels on Sunday in Carmichael Arena, the Tar Heels' former campus home that was hosting its first regular-season game since 1986. But they didn't fare nearly as well in Duke's venerable Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Duke: The Blue Devils got a look at how they'd play without Jones, their floor leader who provides a consistent defensive pressure on the ball. Jones had averaged 37.3 minutes per game when factoring out a 9-minute showing after being shaken up during a first-half collision against Central Arkansas on Nov. 12. Jordan Goldwire got the start at the point and finished with eight points and five assists in 28 minutes.
UP NEXT
Wofford: The Terriers visit Kennesaw State on Sunday.
Duke: The Blue Devils have another extended break and don't play again until hosting Brown on Dec. 28.
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