Sports > November 8, 2007

By Ryan Durham | Sports editor

The Demon Deacons made their first appearance on the Joel Coliseum floor with all its bells and whistles and Wake Forest found its rhythm, defeating Mars Hill 104-70.

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Sophomore L.D. Williams dribbles the ball around a Mars Hill player Nov. 5 at the Deacs’ exhibition game at the Joel Coliseum. Williams led the team with 18 points on the night. (Mary Kate Wagner/Old Gold & Black)

The story of the night came in the form of freshman James Johnson, whose explosive play helped lead the Deacs throughout the game.

Johnson scored 10 points in his first six minutes of play and had 17 by the end of the night to go along with 12 rebounds.

“What you saw out of (Johnson) tonight is what he’s been giving us,” Head Coach Dino Gaudio said.

“He’s a very skilled kid. He can shoot the three, and he can put the ball on the floor. He scored 17 points, he did a pretty good job.”

Johnson was not the only freshman to see extensive play during the game.

Freshman Jeff Teague also saw significant playing time both alongside sophomore Ishmael Smith and by himself.

Together the two guards had 13 assists on the night.

Teague was also one of five Deacs to score in double-digits.

“To be honest with you, I was really impressed with the entire demeanor of the Wake Forest kids,” Mars Hill Head Coach Terry Rogers said. “I thought that they carried themselves well.”

“Coach Gaudio has got them playing hard, he’s got them under control, they’re very team-oriented, they distributed the basketball very well.”

Sophomore L.D. Williams was perhaps one of the most instrumental players for the Deacs both offensively and defensively.

Williams led the Deacs with 18 points and brought down another five rebounds. He was a critical force on defense, stealing the ball six times.

Sophomore Jamie Skeen and junior Harvey Hale rounded out the group of Deacons scoring in double-digits.

Skeen had 11 points and four points in 18 minutes. Hale also scored 11 points, including three three-pointers to go along with four assists.

“I thought we played pretty well the first 10 minutes of it,” Gaudio said. “Then I think it was too good, too early. I thought we did a good job of sharing the ball. Our kids played unselfishly.”

The question remains whether Wake Forest will be able to produce against other ACC teams.

The Deacs had 16 turnovers and only shot 30 percent from three-point range against a team who they easily beat.

It is uncertain whether or not they will be able to accomplish this in games against other Division I schools, especially in the ACC.

“Although we forced 28 turnovers, I was little disappointed in the last 30 minutes with our defense,” Gaudio said. “It’s something we have worked so hard at during our last practices.”

The Wake Forest defense will see its first regular season test when they play host to Fairfield Nov. 9 in the Joel. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. and a tribute for former Head Coach Skip Prosser will take place about 30 minutes before the game starts.