Wake Forest University
Navy
Men's Basketball Downs Navy, 90-58
12/29/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 29, 2000
By DAVID DROSCHAK
AP Sports Writer
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest gave the rest of the Atlantic Coast Conference yet another blowout win to ponder heading into league play.
Josh Howard had 17 points and Broderick Hicks added a season-high 12 as the fourth-ranked Demon Deacons warmed up for its ACC showdown against Virginia with a 90-58 victory over Navy on Friday night.
The win was the sixth of more than 30 points for undefeated Wake Forest (11-0).
"I don't think there is an ACC team afraid of Wake Forest, I really don't," coach Dave Odom said. "If somebody raised their hand and said, 'We are' I would be shocked.
"But I am not naive enough to believe people aren't saying, "What's going on over there?"' Odom added. "If we had not played a difficult schedule I would say nobody would even give it a second thought. But nobody can say that. So, they're saying, 'What's the deal?"'
The deal is the Demon Deacons won their 16th straight to match the second longest streak in school history. The victory also matched the program's fourth-best start.
Wake Forest's best winning streak was 20 games in the mid-1920s and the 1926-27 team started 15-0.
The Demon Deacons host the No. 8 Cavaliers (9-0) in the ACC opener for both teams Tuesday night.
"What's done is done," Odom said of his team's fast start. "We have to look forward. I can promise you whatever our record is going into this next game will have no bearing on that game."
Antwan Scott added 15 points and a career-high 12 rebounds, while Craig Dawson had 14 points as the reserves scored a season-high 49 points.
"It's good to know that if a certain combination is not doing what you want done on either end of the court you can roll it through and find somebody that will give you a little juice," Odom said of his deep bench.
Navy (6-5), the favorite to win the Patriot League, shot 32 percent and turned it over 17 times as Wake Forest held its 18th straight opponent under 40 percent.
"We got schooled pretty well tonight," Navy coach Don DeVoe said. "This Wake Forest team is really impressive. When they want to step it up their defense is truly, truly outstanding. We were just no match for a team like Wake Forest."
Chris Williams scored 19 points to lead Navy, who fell to 8-53 all-time against ranked teams.
Odom shuffled his lineup for the first time this season by bringing Hicks off the bench. The point guard started the previous 10 games, but had gone 1-for-11 with six turnovers and five assists in his last three.
But the junior guard added spark early as the Demon Deacons struggled from the start, getting just three points in the first four minutes.
Hicks sank consecutive 3-pointers 45 seconds apart and added another one from behind the arc 3 1/2 minutes later as Wake Forest went on an 18-4 run to build the lead to 11.
"The team was a little bit stagnant and he kind of ignited us," Odom said of Hicks.
Hicks sank a free throw late in the half, then the 6-foot-1 guard came flying from behind to block a sure layup or dunk by Demond Shepard. The spectacular rejection gave Wake Forest a fastbreak that ended when Robert O'Kelley sank a 3-pointer for an 18-point lead.
Navy closed within 13 with 14:06 left, but Scott scored seven in a 15-4 run as Wake Forest pulled away midway through the second half. Scott also had five of Wake Forest's season-high 12 blocked shots.
Darius Songaila had nine points to give him 1,000 - the 39th Wake Forest player to reach that plateau.
