Wake smokes Tech 80-51 as Jackets disappoint in home return

ATLANTA- Georgia Tech scored the first basket of the game and then didn’t hit another field goal for almost 15 minutes of game time. That 23-0 run by Wake Forest put the Deacs out for good as the Jackets got embarrassed at home 80-51 a week to the day after knocking off #3 North Carolina in McCamish Pavilion.

Tech fell to 3-9 in ACC play and 10-13 on the season under first-year coach Damon Stoudamire.

"We got that ass whooped," Stoudamire said. "We didn't come ready to play. It is a make-or-miss game and you will make-and-miss shots, but we didn't play hard. Then we started missing shots and they hit theirs and then we took difficult shots and we were not creating advantages for us. We didn't give them any resistance and they were attacking us off the bounce. We didn't have the juice tonight."

Wake improved to 7-4 in ACC play and 15-7 overall under fourth-year coach Steve Forbes. Forbes said he was most impressed with how his team handled the big lead at the half.

"It was 34-31, that was the second half score, it is human nature to relax. I challenge our team to grow up and finish and play like a championship team. We went live on Sunday night and went really hard today and I thought they were ready to play. We had seven kills in the first half which might be the most I've had as a coach, especially in the first half," Forbes said.

Six different Wake Forest players scored double-figures led by Cameron Hildreth who had 17 points, but only six in the second half. Big man Andrew Carr finished with a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, two blocks, and a steal.

"I knew coming in we've had some great practices the last two days. Our attention to detail is really high and we came out with intensity. We know how important every game is especially on the road and we wanted to send a message and set the tone," Carr said.

Wake controlled the glass as well with a 42-31 rebounding advantage and outscored the Jackets 46-24 in the paint.

Tech's two freshmen Baye Ndongo and Naithan George led Tech with 14 and 12 points respectively. George needed 13 shots to get his 12 points and was 1-5 from three. Ndongo was 6-10 shooting with a block and a steal.

George ended up with seven assists and three turnovers. He took responsibility for the way the team played.

"This isn't like us. It starts with me. I'm like Coach Stoudamire on the court. I didn't do my job in getting my team organized and getting my guys involved. I feel like I played very selfish tonight so that's on me and that is not us. Even if we aren't making shots, I could create easier shots and just provide a spark to really energize the team and just keep us moving forward," George said.

Part of the game plan for Wake was to limit both George and Kyle Sturdivant and force them into difficult passes.

"I thought our guys did a great job of having their hands out. #2 is going to be an outstanding player and he did a great job negotiating the ball screen and we were very effective and had our hands up," Forbes said.

Leading scorer Miles Kelly went scoreless and was 0-5 shooting in 23 minutes with a +/- of negative 32.

Georgia Tech played the worst half of the season falling behind by 20 after leading 3-0 on a 23-0 run by the Deacs. The Jackets went nearly 15 full minutes without a field goal and 8:45 without any points. The Jackets shot a woeful 13.8 percent from the floor hitting just 4 of 29 shots. Wake on the other hand shot 50 percent overall and 3-10 from the arc while finishing +11 on rebounds 24-13. Cameron Hildreth and Andrew Carr each had 11 points at the break for Wake Forest.

Stoudamire was frustrated after the game.

"Coaching kids is tricky from the standpoint of I'm always pulling for them individually but I know more than they know. None of them today will get out of basketball what they want if they don't do it together. Today's game was a reminder that as I moved forward with the next 8-9 games and moving forward in this program you have to get guys lost in the little things. When you are not making shots what else are you doing on the court? When you have so many guys struggling are you getting lost in the game? Rebounding 50/50 balls or getting balls on their hand," Stoudamire said.

Tech scored the first basket of the game on a Kowacie Reeves three and then gave up a 10-0 run leading Stoudamire to burn a timeout with 16:42 left in the first half. Wake hit another three to extend the run to 13-0 at the first media timeout with 15:27 left in the half on 1-9 shooting by the Jackets. Wake ran the lead up on a 23-0 run to 23-3 before Ibrahima Sacko hit a pair of free throws to end an 8:45 scoreless stretch. Tech trailed 35-6 when Nait George was fouled shooting a three and hit all three. Tyzhuan Claude then snapped a 15-minute stretch without a field goal on a putback. Tech managed to score 20 points in the half trailing 46-20 at the break.

Wake maintained control of the game leading 61-27 at the first media timeout. Wake and Tech scored a combined one point over the next stretch to make it 63-28. Wake maintained the lead through the final media timeout by 30, 76-46.