Photo courtesy of Chuck Burton/Associated Press
“Just a great day for the Deacs.”
Head coach Jeff Bzdelik summed up what for many Wake Forest fans and players will be a game they will remember for years to come. The Demon Deacons knocked off the No. 2 Miami Hurricanes 80-65, Feb. 23, in front of an ecstatic home crowd that rushed the court after the victory.
The Deacs handed the Hurricanes their first conference loss of the season and snapped their 14-game winning streak.
It also marked the first time since January of 2009 that Wake has defeated a top-five ranked team when they handed then No. 1 Duke a 70-68.
Photo courtesy of Chuck Burton/Associated Press
Lone senior C.J. Harris led the young Deacon squad with an impressive performance, scoring 23 points and making all five of his three-point attempts.
“I think that’s what I’m here for sometimes is to be that leader out on the court and make sure we stay together out there,” Harris said.
The game was a back-and-forth affair for the first nine minutes of play as there were six lead changes.
It was Harris, however, that helped to change all that. The Winston-Salem native drained three straight three-pointers to push Wake out in front to a 30-17 lead.
The Deacons would not look back and would extend the lead to as much as 19 in the first half, entering the break with a 42-29 advantage.
As expected, Miami fought back in the second half and put the Joel on edge as they climbed to within five at 46-41 with a little over 14 minutes left to play.
“We knew that Miami would make a run,” Bzdelik said. “They’re the No. 2 team in the country. They’ve come back, they’re really special.”
The Deacons had an answer, however. An emphatic breakaway dunk by Harris started a 12-0 run that put Wake in command at 62-45.
“Basketball is a game of runs,” junior Travis McKie said. “I think our freshman understand that by now. We knew we had to sustain a little run and we did it and we wanted to make our run next.”
Miami could come no closer than 11 for the remainder of the contest as the Deacs began to pull away.
Photo courtesy of Chuck Burton/Associated Press
Anticipation grew in the arena as the game appeared to be out of reach for the Canes, and students began to pour into the aisles in preparation of a much-deserved storming of the court.
As the final buzzer sounded with the Deacons’ 80-65 win, the court was flooded with fans for the second time this season, with the last coming Jan. 22 against then No. 18 N.C. State.
“Today we combined playing really good basketball with just great energy, coupled with great energy that our fans in this building provided for us,” Bzdelik said. “We in turn gave it back to them. Just a great day for the Deacs. A lot of great individual performances, but most importantly a great team performance.
It was definitely a team effort as many players had strong performances.
Freshman Codi Miller-McIntyre came up with many timely shots for the Deacs on his way to a 15-point performance.
Photo courtesy of Chuck Burton/Associated Press
Despite scoring just eight points, McKie was a force on the defensive end of the court, grabbing 10 rebounds and recording a game-high five blocks.
Freshmen Devin Thomas and Madison Jones were also active on defense. Jones recorded four steals to go along with eight points and five boards. Thomas had three blocks and narrowly missed a double-double with 10 points and eight rebounds.
“The hard work we put in is paying off,” Thomas said. “Sooner or later, it’s going to be expected of us to win these games and not let it be a surprise.”
As a team, Wake shot an impressive 54 percent and outscored Miami 15-2 in fast break points.
“Everybody contributed with shooting a good percentage, taking good shots and sticking to the game plan and not turning the ball over,” Bzdelik said.
The win puts the Deacs at 12-14 on the year, and 5-9 in ACC play. The Hurricanes, who have had a strong season to this point, fall to 22-4 and 13-1 in conference play.
“Who would have ever though Wake Forest beating Miami at home would have been a court-rushing scene,” Miami sophomore Shane Larkin said.
The Deacons will look to keep the momentum going into their final four games of the season. Their next test will be Feb. 26 when they will travel to Tallahassee, Fla. to take on Florida State.
Wake handed the Seminoles a 25-point loss at the Joel Feb. 9, and will look to have similar success on the road. Tipoff is set for 9 p.m.
Julie Huggins/Old Gold & Black
VIDEO: Fans rushing the court