Wake Forest University
Georgia
No. 6 Men's Hoops Takes Georgia, 75-57
12/16/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 16, 2000
By DAVID DROSCHAK
AP Sports Writer
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Josh Howard scored 15 points before being thrown out and No. 6 Wake Forest held yet another opponent under 40 percent shooting for a 75-57 victory over Georgia on Saturday night.
The Demon Deacons (8-0) won their 13th straight dating to last season's NIT championship run - matching the longest streak in Dave Odom's 12 years as coach. It is also the nation's second longest streak to Michigan State's 19.
Robert O'Kelley added 15 points for the Demon Deacons to pick up the slack for leading scorer Craig Dawson, who made just one of seven shots for six points - 10 below his average.
Once again, Wake Forest relied on its defense, holding Georgia (6-4) to a season-low 35 percent shooting and forcing 17 turnovers. The Demon Deacons scored 26 points off the miscues by the Bulldogs, who saw their four-game winning streak halted.
Georgia was the 13th straight opponent Wake Forest has held under 40 percent shooting. D.A. Layne led the Bulldogs with 10 points.
Howard made seven of eight shots in the opening 20 minutes and was on pace to set a career high point total, which he accomplished last week against Kansas with 21.
But after being fouled hard by Adrian Jones away from the basket, the sophomore jumped up and exchanged words with the Georgia guard. Howard then failed to back off when instructed by officials and was thrown out with 17:51 left.
Wake Forest was up by 17 at that point and proceeded to go on a 9-2 run to put the game out of reach at 56-34.
Georgia was trying to beat its third straight Atlantic Coast Conference team. Its previous ACC games were five-point wins over Georgia Tech and North Carolina State - teams expected to finish in the lower half of the ACC standings.
Wake Forest, however, looks like it's ready to challenge No. 1 Duke when the ACC season starts the first week of January as its depth was just too much for the Bulldogs.
Georgia started 7-for-12 from the field against one of the nation's best defenses, but committed seven turnovers in the opening eight minutes to fall behind 25-15.
The Bulldogs did pull within seven later in the half as the Demon Deacons went more than four minutes without a basket against the Bulldogs' zone. But Howard scored on a follow shot and a twisting fastbreak layup after a Darius Songaila block to propel a 10-3 run to close the half with a 15-point lead.
