GREENSBORO — Moments after wrapping up his historic, 880th career victory, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski waved to the fans at the Greensboro Coliseum with heartfelt appreciation.

Top-ranked Duke's 108-62 defeat of UNC Greensboro on Wednesday night moved Krzyzewski past former North Carolina coach Dean Smith into second place on the Division I career men's basketball wins list.

A largely pro-Duke crowd of 22,178 nearly packed the huge arena to witness the milestone, chanting "Coach K, Coach K" in the final minute.

"To see so many Duke fans - and people told me that a lot of these fans had traveled long distances to be here - for them to stay at the end of the game, I didn't know what to expect," Krzyzewski said. "But I didn't expect that."

The turnout reflected the significance of Krzyzewski's accomplishment. Smith led Division I coaches with 879 wins when he retired in 1997, having built North Carolina into a national power whose fan base dominated the state.

Although four NCAA titles under Krzyzewski have made Duke basketball a huge national draw, the Blue Devils sometimes are seen as less favored in their home state. But the crowd that watched top-ranked Duke (12-0) defeat winless UNC Greensboro (0-12) shows the appreciation fans have for the Blue Devils close to home.

"To see how he's changed the program, how he's changed Duke into what it is, is a really incredible thing," said Duke senior forward Kyle Singler.

Singler scored 27 points and senior guard Nolan Smith added 26 points and nine assists as the Blue Devils rolled to their second-largest winning margin of the season. Duke scored 15 of the first 17 points and led 53-32 at halftime.

The Blue Devils shot 60.9 percent from the field and forced 23 turnovers.

"You could tell it was something special to their players," said UNC Greensboro coach Mike Dement, a former Krzyzewski assistant. "They played really hard and really well, and boy, did they shoot it well."

With the outcome of the game never in doubt, the focus was on Krzyzewski passing Smith as the winningest coach to work in the ACC.

Krzyzewski tried to downplay the significance of the number of wins. He said Smith could have coached longer and won more if he had chosen to do so.

Smith, he said, set an example by doing things with dignity and integrity, with great players and loyalty to his school.

"The people at Duke have been really committed to me, and I've been committed to them, too," Krzyzewski said, "and it just worked out."

The obsession with Krzyzewski's numbers will abate now. But a fan seated in a corner of the lower arena held up a sign reminding everybody that another big number is within reach.

Krzyzewski played guard for Bobby Knight at Army. Now there's a chance he will surpass Knight's Division I-record career total of 902 wins in the NCAA tournament in March.

"You're next, Bobby," the sign read.

Although Krzyzewski would rather the attention be focused on his players, he appreciates the spot in history that the crowd gathered in Greensboro to celebrate.

"To share a spotlight with Dean and Coach [Knight]," he said, "that's a great honor."

Duke 108, UNC Greensboro 62

Percentages: FG .609, FT .760. 3-point goals: 11-24, .458 (Singler 4-7, Smith 3-4, Curry 3-7, Dawkins 1-2, Thornton 0-1, Kelly 0-3). Team rebounds: 2. Blocked shots: 5 (Kelly 4, Ma. Plumlee). Turnovers: 7 (Singler 2, Hairston 2, Dawkins, Curry, Ma. Plumlee). Steals: 13 (Smith 3, Curry 3, Mi. Plumlee 2, Kelly 2, Ma. Plumlee 2, Dawkins). Technical fouls: none.

Percentages: FG .397, FT .750. 3-point goals: 4-8, .500 (Henegar 2-2, Evans 1-1, VanDussen 1-1, Parker 0-1, Simpson 0-1, Cole 0-2). Team rebounds: 4. Blocked shots: 2 (Brackett, Henegar). Turnovers: 23 (Henry 6, VanDussen 4, Evans 4, Parker 3, Simpson 2, Brackett 2, Randall, Williams). Steals: 2 (Brackett, Henegar). Technical fouls: Evans.

Att.-22,178. Officials-Tim Nestor, Jerry Heater, William Covington, Jr.

ktysiac@charlotteobserver.com or 919-829-8942