DURHAM — Wendell Moore Jr. scored a season-high 25 points to help No. 21 Duke edge Boston College 83-82 on Wednesday night while Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski was sidelined due to COVID-19 protocols.
The sophomore had been off to a rough start to the season but had a huge performance for the Blue Devils (4-2, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), who had to rally from 16 down before halftime in their first game in three weeks.
“Just seeing that first one go through, I feel like it took everything that was on my shoulders off of me,” Moore said, “and gave me a chance to play free and just go out there and win the game.”
Moore’s night included a critical late basket, corralling an inbounds pass with 2 seconds on the shot clock and hitting an off-balance fadeaway over Jay Heath for an 80-77 lead with 43 seconds left.
Moore added a free throw with 9.9 seconds left to make it a two-possession game, which provided just enough cushion when CJ Felder hit a 3-pointer with 1 second left for the final margin.
Krzyzewski has said he and his wife are following quarantine protocols after a family member tested positive for COVID-19. Krzyzewski said both tested negative as recently as Monday. Associate head coach Jon Scheyer led the program Wednesday.
“It’s not how I dreamed about coaching my first game ever,” Scheyer said, adding: “I can only imagine what (Krzyzewski) was thinking and doing down the stretch there — or actually the whole game, I should say.”
Felder finished with 24 points for the Eagles (2-8, 0-4), while Quinnipiac graduate transfer Rich Kelly had a season-high 16 points. But BC finished with 21 turnovers to offset 56% shooting.
“When you turn it over 21 times at Cameron, it’s tough to win, especially when I thought we had a pretty good rhythm on offense the whole night,” BC coach Jim Christian said, adding: “We’ve just got to get a little stronger with the ball.”
The Blue Devils last played in a win against Notre Dame on Dec. 16, with two straight league games postponed due to coronavirus issues for their opponents. And Moore had struggled mightily to start the year, managing six points while missing 20 of 21 shots in his previous four games.
The Blue Devils host Wake Forest on Saturday.
No. 22 Virginia 70, Wake Forest 61
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Sam Hauser scored 11 of his 16 points during a 28-10 run to open the second half and No. 22 Virginia returned from a coronavirus pause to beat Wake Forest 70-61 on Wednesday night.
The Cavaliers (6-2, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) trailed 39-34 at halftime after the Demon Deacons shot 63% in the first half, but Virginia clamped down on defense in the second half and used the fast start offensively to pull away.
“Our defense stepped up,” said Hauser, a transfer from Marquette. “Our defense in the first half, it seemed like we were a step behind.”
Hauser also grabbed 11 rebounds, drawing praise from coach Tony Bennett. The Cavaliers were outrebounded 16-8 in the first half but finished even with the Demon Deacons in rebounding at 26 apiece.
Trey Murphy III scored 13 points for the Cavaliers, who had all five starters score in double figures. Freshman Reece Beekman scored 12 and added five steals. He said the Cavaliers amped up their defensive intensity in recent practices, “and I definitely could tell during the game.”
Isaiah Mucius and Jonah Antonio scored 14 points each and Ismael Massoud had 13 for the Demon Deacons (3-2, 0-2). Wake Forest was 8 for 21 (38%) from the field after halftime.
“You’ve got to play two halves to win a game, especially against a team like Virginia,” first-year Demon Deacons coach Steve Forbes said. “We played about as well as we can in the first half.”
Wake Forest used a 19-9 run to open a 24-14 lead midway through the first half. Virginia’s 16-6 burst got the Cavaliers within 32-30, but they trailed 39-34 at the half.
UNC Greensboro 84, Wofford 75
SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Isaiah Miller had 15 points and 13 rebounds to lift UNC Greensboro to an 84-75 win over Wofford on Wednesday night.
Angelo Allegri had 19 points for UNC Greensboro (6-4, 1-1 Southern Conference). Kaleb Hunter added eight rebounds.
UNC Greensboro totaled 49 second-half points, a season best for the team.
Storm Murphy had 25 points for the Terriers (5-4, 2-1). He also had seven turnovers but four assists. Messiah Jones added 10 points, seven rebounds and four blocks.
Tray Hollowell, the Terriers’ second leading scorer heading into the contest at 14 points per game, scored only five points. He hit 20% from beyond the arc (1 of 5).
