Mason Plumlee poured in a career-high 32 points against Wake Forest Wednesday. Credit: CHUCK LIDDY

WINSTON-SALEM—The Wake Forest game plan was to take away Duke’s looks from 3-point range. And that worked, for the most part, but Mason Plumlee set a new career-high in points as Duke pulled out a late 75-70 win.

Plumlee scored 32 points on 12-of-15 shooting from the field and an 8-of-10 performance from the free throw line. The No. 5 Blue Devils (18-2, 5-2 in the ACC) planned before the game to feed him in the post, and, when they did, he found just Devon Thomas, the freshman assigned to guard Plumlee by himself.

“They decided not to double in their game plan, and guys got me balls in the right positions,” Plumlee said. “It was just sets. There were some moves, but a lot of it was just lay-ups.”

Rasheed Sulaimon had a career day last time out against Maryland. Tonight, he'll attempt to outshine Wake Forest's freshmen as well. Credit: CHUCK LIDDY

Duke vs. Wake Forest
When: 8:05 p.m.
Where: Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Winston-Salem
TV/Radio: WRAL-ACC Network/WKIX-102.9 FM
Storyline: Mike Krzyzewski said the Maryland win was step one in finding the team's new identity. Playing at Wake Forest is step two.
Last time: Duke rolled to an 80-62 win in Durham

Projected starting lineups:

No. 5 Duke (17-2, 4-2 in the ACC)
G Quinn Cook, So., 11.1 ppg, 6.2 apg
G Seth Curry, Sr., 15.7 ppg, 2.1 rpg
G Rasheed Sulaimon, Fr., 12.0 ppg, 3.4 rpg
F Amile Jefferson, Fr., 4.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg
F Mason Plumlee, Sr., 17.4 ppg, 11.2 rpg

Wake Forest (10-8, 3-3)
G Codi Miller-McIntyre, Fr., 8.3 ppg, 2.8 apg
G C.J. Harris, Sr., 14.8 ppg, 2.2 rpg
F Arnaud William Adala Moto, Fr., 5.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg
F Devin Thomas, Fr., 7.5 ppg, 7.6 rpg
F Travis McKie, Jr., 15.1 ppg, 8.0 rpg

Player to watch

DURHAM—After Duke’s thoroughly dominant 80-62 win over Wake Forest, Mason Plumlee sat with a towel draped over his legs and addressed the media.

First he was asked about not getting a ton of touches (“guys were taking jump shots, that’s all”). Then he was asked about slow starts—after Duke had led the Demon Deacons by 11 at the half (“We’ll start coming out better”). And finally, he was asked about runs the Blue Devils let the Demon Deacons make in the second half, like when Wake Forest cut a 25-point Duke lead to 14 points against Duke’s reserves, well after the game had been decided.

“I mean, we won the game,” Plumlee said. “We can talk about all the negative things, but, at the end of the day, guys stepped up.

“I feel like, talking to you guys here, that lost,” he said with a laugh and a smile.

Ryan Kelly scored a season-high 22 points against Wake Forest in Saturday's 80-62 win. Credit: CHUCK LIDDY

4:30 p.m. update

DURHAM—Whenever Duke plays Wake Forest, Ryan Kelly seems to find his shooting touch.

Saturday afternoon’s game, a 80-62 Duke victory, was no exception.

Kelly scored a season-high 22 points and shot 5-of-7 from 3-point range. Foul trouble limited him to just 18 minutes of action, and he finished one point shy of his career-high, which came last season at Wake Forest.

Of the five career games that Kelly has topped 20 points, four of them have come against the Demon Deacons (7-6).

“I’m just confident,” Kelly said. “I’ve put a lot of work into it in practice. When I get my open looks, I shoot it with confidence.

“People were saying earlier in the season that I wasn’t shooting the 3 ball well. Numbers always tend to find a way to come back to what they’re supposed to be.”