Wake Forest University
Vanderbilt
Wake Forest Advances To Second Round Of NIT
3/14/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 14, 2000
By TERESA M. WALKER
AP Sports Writer
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Reserve Craig Dawson tied his career high with 19 points as Wake Forest beat Vanderbilt 83-68 Tuesday night in the opening round of the National Invitation Tournament.
The Demon Deacons (18-14) will play either South Florida or New Mexico in the second round Monday or Tuesday.
Vanderbilt (19-11) came into the game shocked about being left out of the NCAA tournament, and fans in Memorial Gym fed off the disappointment with signs and posters, including one that read "We're Still Perplexed in Nashville."
The Commodores, who beat four ranked teams during the regular season, looked like their minds were anywhere but on the game. They played like that and finished the season having lost seven of their final 10 games.
They put up a fight for the first few minutes, and then a 3-pointer by Dawson started a 9-0 run that put Wake Forest ahead to stay with 14:48 left. Sam Howard kept the Demon Deacons from blowing out Vanderbilt with 11 of his 16 points in the half, and his driving layup just before the buzzer trimmed Wake Forest's halftime lead to 39-31.
Josh Howard added 17 points for Wake Forest, Antwan Scott had 12 and Darius Songaila 11.
Vandy made one last run in the second half with nine straight points, pulling within 45-43 on a jumper by Dan Langhi. Wake Forest responded with a 12-2 spurt, building the lead to 57-44 on a jumper by Broderick Hicks with 12:22 left.
The Commodores got within eight a couple more times, but not even Langhi, the Southeastern Conference's leading scorer, could save the Commodores. Most of his 20 points came with the game already decided.
Greg LaPointe and Atiba Prater each added 11 points for Vanderbilt.
