Sports > March 6, 2008

By Ryan Durham | Senior writer

Trying to stop the bleeding after their loss to UNC-Chapel Hill, the Demon Deacons began their final week and a half of ACC play with hopes of making the NCAA tournament still alive. These hopes have almost disappeared with three straight losses, including two on the road, to Maryland, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech.

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Maryland Terrapin James Gist shoots over freshman James Johnson for two of his career-high 31 points. Gist also collected 11 rebounds. (Jeff Merski/Old Gold & Black)

In their final push to reach .500 in the ACC, Wake Forest traveled to Blacksburg, Va., March 4 to face the Hokies of Virginia Tech.

This was not to be as was evident in the opening minutes of the first half. On the Hokies senior night, they could do nothing wrong and the Deacons could not get any momentum.

Virginia Tech jumped out to a 25-9 lead just over 10 minutes into the half. The drive did not stop there as the Hokies took a 21 point lead.

The Deacs shot a dismal 27.6 percent in the first half to Virginia Tech’s 50 percent shooting.Wake Forest could not get any momentum going in the second half either, despite the Hokies sitting on the ball.

The Deacs did not come within more than 18 points of their opponents, falling 80-58.

For the second game in a row, freshman James Johnson struggled on the court, scoring only three points in 16 minutes of play. Freshman Jeff Teague led the Deacs in scoring with 25 points on the night, including a perfect 10-10 from the charity stripe.

To start off their final road trip of the season, the Deacs traveled to Atlanta, Ga., to face the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

“We were hoping to get off to a good start, but we did not,” Gaudio said. “They were reeling a little bit, they were 4-8 and 11-15 coming in, and we thought we could jump on them a little bit and maybe we could put them away. But we’re the ones who struggled a little bit.”

The Yellow Jackets outperformed the Deacs in every category but steals and turnovers in the first, which helped them to a seven-point lead at the half.

After a dismal performance against Maryland, Teague led Wake Forest in the first half with 13 points. He was followed closely by sophomore Chas McFarland with 10 points.

Georgia Tech increased its lead to as many as 13 points in the second half but the Deacs scrapped their way back into the game.

Wake tied the score with 44 seconds left in regulation, forcing the game into overtime.

Their determination seemed lost in overtime as Georgia Tech went on a 14-4 run.

“We just kept climbing uphill,” Gaudio said. “Then we got into overtime. I thought it would help us – five more minutes – a fresh start. Let’s get this thing done now, but we weren’t able to do it.”

McFarland proved instrumental for the Deacs despite the loss.

After being plagued with foul trouble, McFarland played 38 minutes and recorded a career high in points with 28.

His 12 rebounds also gave him the second double-double of his career.

Before their loss at Georgia Tech, Wake Forest played host the University of Maryland Terrapins Feb. 28 in its second to last home game of the season.

The two teams fought for the lead for the majority of the first half, but the Terrapins finally gained control of the tempo in the waning minutes of the half to go into the locker room up seven on the Deacs.

“Our defense in the first half was poor, that’s why they got the seven point lead,” Gaudio said. “For some reason, we didn’t have that same bounce coming out of the locker room to start the game that we usually do, and that’s my fault.”

Wake Forest came out of the halftime break determined to make its way back in the game, and they did so by tying the score at 49 points apiece just over five minutes into the half. The Deacs could not turn this tie into a lead though and Maryland quickly jumped out to yet another double-digit lead.

Thanks to some quick points from Johnson and McFarland, the team climbed back into striking distance of the Terrapins, but this was to no avail because of a Deacon scoring drought in the last two minutes of play.

Johnson managed his eighth double-double of the season with 25 points and 14 rebounds, but the Deacs lacked the punch of another high scorer to pull them through.

With the losses, Wake Forest falls to 16-12 overall and 6-9 in the ACC.

The Deacs play their final game of the regular season March 8 against N.C. State.