:biggrin:
He CANNOT run the point, they are going to drop out of the top 25 like a stone
(yes thats a turnover)
Only 10??? It a good thing he was not playing a tough team…
They’ve not played well in either contest so far. Looks a bit skeered to me!:wow:
[QUOTE][B][COLOR=DarkRed]Gray’s turnovers were the most by a Wake Forest player since Robert O’Kelley committed 10 against N.C. State in the first round of the 1999 ACC Tournament.[/COLOR][/B][/QUOTE]
[B]Deacs fend off Patriots 83-78
Wake Forest blows 19-point lead in second half but rallies for victory in overtime[/B]
By Dan Collins, Winston-Salem Journal Reporter
Wake Forest is headed to New York next week for the semifinals of the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic.
But the Deacons had to take another walk on the wild side to get there.
"I think we’re getting used to letting other teams come back and giving everybody a show,’’ senior Eric Williams said. "It’s gotten real crazy.’’
After blowing a 19-point second-half lead, the No. 18 Deacons drilled seven of eight free throws in the final 36.3 seconds of overtime to pull out an 83-78 victory over dogged George Mason.
The victory lifted Wake Forest into Thursday’s game against Florida.
The Deacons shot 60 percent from the floor, and had to in order to overcome 20 turnovers and porous defense that allowed the Patriots, over one second-half stretch, to score on nine of 11 possessions. The surge gave George Mason a 69-68 lead with 2:50 remaining in regulation.
"Obviously our demise in the second half was the result of not being able to handle their pressure,’’ Coach Skip Prosser of Wake Forest said. "And it’s good when you can have a good teachable moment and still manage to win and go to New York.
"I think it was good for our team - and this sounds a bit convoluted – that we had a lead, we lost the lead and that our guys showed some true grit and managed to win the game anyway.’’
Williams contributed 19 points and 6 rebounds and reserve Chris Ellis made three 3-pointers - including one with 2-1/2 minutes left in regulation that gave Wake Forest a 71-69 lead. But the Deacons couldn’t have made it to New York without the play of senior Trent Strickland, who amassed 18 points and 11 rebounds and had a clutch tip-out of Williams’ missed free throw that gave the Deacons’ an extended possession.
Justin Gray capitalized by making two free throws with three minutes left for a 76-73 lead that the Deacons protected from the line in the final minute.
Strickland’s performance came only one night after the amassed 16 points and 12 rebounds in the first-round victory over Mississippi Valley State.
"Trent came out and played two tremendous games,’’ Williams said. "It’s about time. We knew what kind of player Trent was, and it’s showing now.
"We need him to keep doing this.’’
Leading 50-31 with 17 minutes remaining in regulation, the Deacons managed just four points over their next 12 possessions while George Mason clawed as close as 54-49 on a free throw by Folarin Campbell.
"I thought we had the game secured,’’ Strickland said. "But I guess that’s when we all started thinking that. I just think we got a little relaxed and our defensive intensity wasn’t at its highest peak.’’
George Mason rallied by forcing the Deacons into 12 turnovers in the second half. Pressing full-court, the Patriots made life especially miserable for senior Justin Gray, who had seven of his 10 turnovers after halftime.
Gray’s turnovers were the most by a Wake Forest player since Robert O’Kelley committed 10 against N.C. State in the first round of the 1999 ACC Tournament.
"We didn’t expect that at all,’’ Williams said of the press. "It was something that caught us off-guard. We really didn’t handle it too well.’’
A 3-pointer by Tony Skinn - who led all scorers with 23 points - cut Wake Forest’s lead to 66-65. After Gray and Skinn traded baskets, Ellis missed a 3-point attempt and Strickland failed to get the follow shot to fall.
The Patriots rushed the ball up court and Lamar Butler made a pull-up jumper for a 69-68 George Mason lead. Moments later, Ellis squared up at the top of the key and drilled a 3-pointer for a 71-69 Deacons’ lead.
"If he misses that, that really would have made a huge difference on the rhythm of the game and the pressure on Wake to close us out,’’ Coach Jim Larranaga of George Mason said. "But he made it, and the pressure was on us to deliver.’’
A foul by George Mason’s Will Thomas with 26.6 seconds left in regulation gave the Deacons the last possession, but Strickland missed a bank shot with two seconds left to send the game into overtime. But after two free throws by Skinn tied the game at 73 with 3:54 remaining, the Patriots failed to score on their next five possessions. Wake Forest took the lead for good on Williams’ free throw and Strickland tapped the miss on the second attempt out to Gray, who made two foul shots for a 76-73 lead.
Wake Forest then got one of two free throws from Strickland and two each from Michael Drum, Harvey Hale and Gray down the stretch to salt the game away.
"It’s very, very difficult to come that close to victory, that close to getting to Madison Square Garden, that close to beating an ACC team on their home court - and coming up short,’’ Larranaga said.
"So right now it’s very painful for me, my staff and our players.’’
A coach with an athletic team would be wise to trap Justin Gray.
They have 3 months and a lot of good teams to play before we face them, they won’t be the same team in February.
And wins are wins, you get the same trophy if you win every single one of your games by 1 or if you win them all by 20.
[QUOTE=CMack124;139048]They have 3 months and a lot of good teams to play before we face them, they won’t be the same team in February.[/QUOTE]
Agreed. They’ll have this worked out well before they see us.