With upset loss avenged, Deacons are eyeing Devils

As rematches go, it wasn't exactly Ali-Frazier.

Wake Forest made sure of that, trampling Georgia Tech 87-69 last night and avenging one of the season's most absurd upsets.

The Deacons botched their final three possessions in Atlanta -- missed foul shot, shot-clock violation, wild inbound pass -- and raised doubts about their concentration. Those questions still gurgle to the surface from week to week, creating angst among jittery fans and uncertainty among bewildered witnesses.

Wake Forest (20-4, 7-4 ACC) worked the revenge angle at Joel Coliseum. Georgia Tech (10-15, 1-11 ACC) didn't have that option. You could say Wake Forest ruined the Yellow Jackets' perfect season, but where would that leave anyone?

One mere game can't change Georgia Tech's status. With Virginia knocking off Virginia Tech last night, the Yellow Jackets fell two wins behind the Cavaliers (3-8) in the mad dash for next-to-last. Eighth-ranked Wake Forest climbed into a tie for second with Clemson and Duke, two losses behind leader North Carolina (10-2) with Cameron Indoor Stadium next on the travel itinerary Sunday night.

Sophomore James Johnson, who hit 10 of 12 shots while scoring 24 points, will make his first trip to Duke's storied gym without immersing himself in legendary tales.

"I try to limit myself on the stories," Johnson said. "It don't matter. Whatever they say, at the end they've got to show me. I'm a show-me type guy. If you think you can beat me, show me. Then, when you do it, I'll give you respect. Until then, I don't care really what goes on in Durham. We're going to play hard, and we're going to play Wake Forest basketball."

The Deacons charged out of the starting blocks last night. Center Chas McFarland slapped the opening tap to Johnson, who drove for a dunk that energized the crowd of 12,809. The exercise took all of three seconds.

They were off to the races, especially Johnson, Jeff Teague, Ish Smith and Al-Farouq Aminu. Wake Forest scored the first seven points and 15 of the first 18. Guard Gary Clark came off the bench and claimed squatter's rights on the corners, from which he drilled three 3-pointers.

Wake Forest stripped the Tech ballhandlers, ripped down rebounds and drove long distances against a staggered defense. Paul Hewitt, the Yellow Jackets' coach, became distracted because the refs probably blew a goal-tending call. The ball traveled up and down the floor, but Hewitt wouldn't desist. Four minutes ticked off the clock, and perhaps 10 human minutes, yet Hewitt continued to quibble.

Meanwhile, inside the lines, the Deacons expanded the lead to 23 points late in the half.

The Yellow Jackets finally found their (long) range, which infused more grit into the defense. In the third ACC game ever between two brothers, Tech's older Aminu (Alade) blocked a shot by Wake's Aminu (Al-Farouq) only inches from the rim. Did the brother talk trash?

"Not really," Wake Forest's Aminu said. "He's not that big of a talker. Me either."

Georgia Tech sprinted into halftime, sliced the spread to 61-56 with 13½ minutes left and kept the margin around that range for another two minutes, before Smith and Johnson regained the offensive grip.

These episodes, which fall under the general heading of Can't Stand Prosperity, tend to lull the audience into a quiet trance before causing a worried buzz throughout the arena. They can drive coaches somewhat crazy, but Dino Gaudio insisted that wasn't the case last night.

He attributed the Yellow Jackets' first revival to 3-point shooting, specifically the 8-for-14 flurry in the first half. A major reason: Wake Forest failed to push out on shooters at the arc.

But the lead was huge. The Deacons pleased the crowd, and themselves, with an assortment of flashy drives, no-look drop passes and rim-bending dunks. They looked like Globetrotters, and Tech looked like the Washington Generals, but then the entertainment tide shifted. Wake Forest got sloppy before cleaning out Tech.

"We're the best defensive team in the league," Gaudio said. "When we guard, I think we're hard to get beat. We've taken that step this year. When we take that next step, I think we can go from good to being great."

The Deacons took the first step, beating Tech for the first time in Gaudio's two seasons. Next up: Duke's world.

■ Lenox Rawlings can be reached at lrawlings@wsjournal.com.