Wake Forest University
Temple
No. 6 Wake Forest Edges Temple, 67-64
12/13/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 13, 2004
By JIM O'CONNELL
AP Basketball Writer
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Trent Strickland scored all nine of his points in the final 9 minutes and No. 6 Wake Forest went 5-for-6 from the free throw line over the final 2 minutes to hold off Temple 67-64 on Monday night.
Eric Williams, who along with fellow starter Chris Paul, were disciplined for 5 minutes for being late for the team bus on the way to the game, had 17 points for the Demon Deacons (7-1), while Justin Gray added 15.
Paul, the leading vote-getter on the AP's preseason All-America team, and Williams were held out of the starting lineup for being 2 minutes late for the bus. Paul finished with nine points and eight assists for the Demon Deacons, who were coming off a 9-day break for exams.
Mardy Collins had a season-high 25 points for Temple (3-5), which had a chance at tying the game but freshman Dustin Salisbery's 3-pointer hit the rim with 1 second to play.
The game was played at Temple's pace as Wake Forest came in averaging 83.1 points, almost 21 more than the Owls.
There were six lead changes and two ties in the opening 10 minutes of the second half and Wake Forest seemed to take control behind Strickland, a reserve junior forward who came in averaging 6.3 points.
Strickland had six points in a 15-6 run that gave the Demon Deacons a 58-49 lead with 5:40 left.
Collins scored on a drive to make it 59-57 with 2:51 left and he and Strickland exchanged 3-pointers to make it 62-60 with 2:07 left.
Gray made two free throws with 1:56 to go to make it a four-point game and Salisbery tipped in a missed 3 by Collins to get it to 64-62 with 1:29 to go.
Williams made one free throw with 55 seconds to go, then Wayne Marshall scored in the lane for Temple to make it 65-64 with 36 seconds left.
Taron Downey, a 64 percent free throw shooter, made two with 11 seconds left for the final margin.
Jamal Levy had eight rebounds for Wake Forest, which finished with a 31-21 advantage on the boards. The Demon Deacons did turn the ball over 15 times against Temple's matchup zone.
Marshall had 11 points for the Owls, who shot 45.1 percent (23-for-51), their second-best effort of the season. They entered the game 37.3 percent.
The win was Wake Forest's fourth straight over Temple and gave it an 11-10 lead all-time.
The game was played in the Liacouras Center which was used Sunday for the premiere of Bill Cosby's movie "Fat Albert." Cosby, Temple's biggest supporter, was in the stands for the game.
