College Sports
Email
Print
Bonus: Deacs' trip came with parting gifts
ADVERTISEMENT
Published: December 7, 2009
Wake Forest returned from its 5,000-mile round trip to Spokane, Wash., with more than Saturday's 77-75 victory over No. 17 Gonzaga.
The team that deplaned early yesterday morning had a little something else that the one that embarked Friday morning may have lacked.
"We just knew we needed to get this win, for our confidence and for the year," senior point guard Ish Smith said. "No one wanted to fly back disappointed.
"Like Coach (Dino) Gaudio said, `This is a springboard game to get us going.' "
Making amends for a home loss to William & Mary and a turnover-riddled setback at Purdue, the Deacons weathered a frigid start that left them trailing by 13. They proceeded to capitalize on a seven-point possession to take a one-point halftime lead that they extended to 14 in the first eight minutes of the second half and then fended off the inevitable Bulldogs comeback by making the right plays in the clutch.
Before Saturday, Gonzaga was 65-3 in the cacophonous confines of its home arena, the McCarthey Athletic Center.
"I'm telling you, the students are right on top of you," Gaudio said. "That was as tough an environment as we've ever played in.
"The arena has been here seven years and they'd lost three games here. (Saturday) was four."
And as for those who predicted doom and gloom based on the Deacons' first six games of the season?
"I'll bet they're not saying that anymore," freshman C.J. Harris said.
The Deacons may have also returned with a new substitution rotation, especially when opponents resort to a zone. After making 32 percent of its 3-pointers (30 for 95) in the first six games, Wake Forest drilled eight of 15 against the Bulldogs.
The most encouraging development for the Deacons may have been who was leading the way. Harris scored 19 in his first career start, hitting two of three 3-pointers. Ari Stewart, a freshman averaging 7.2 points a game, made four of four while pouring in 17 points in 14 minutes.
"They're exceptional shooters, and they've been like that since they got here," Smith said. "All they needed was that confidence and this was the game to do it. They saw a couple go in, and it was all over then."
Gary Clark, a junior guard who missed the first six games while recovering from mononucleosis, made one 3-pointer on two tries and contributed seven points in 11 minutes.
Gaudio said that Harris and Stewart were recruited to address a need. The Deacons ranked 11th in the ACC last season, shooting 32 percent from 3-point range.
"The one thing we knew coming off last season is we needed shooters," Gaudio said. "We identified that and we brought in a couple of kids who could shoot the ball and we've got a couple more coming in next. Ari was 4-for-4 from three and C.J. was 2-for-3.
"I'm happy for those kids."
Harris's first start was one to remember. Harris, a 6-2 guard from Mount Tabor, was especially clutch at the foul line, hitting 13 of 15 free throws. It also bears noting that he played 32 minutes without a turnover, as the Deacons, who committed 25 turnovers at Purdue, pared their total to 10 just four days later.
"We just felt with the onslaught of turnovers that we had the last game, that we could lose the game in the first five minutes, or six minutes as well as throughout," Gaudio said, explaining his reason for starting Harris instead of forward Tony Woods. "So we wanted to make sure we went in there and had a little bit more of a steady hand.
"We just felt he was playing so well he deserved it."
dcollins@wsjournal.com.
727-7323
Email
Print
