Wake Forest Athletics
Deacons, Red Raiders Meet Tonight In NYC
11/18/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 18, 2005
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Game No. 4 / 2k Classic Third-Place Game
#19/18 Wake Forest (2-1) vs.
Texas Tech (2-1)
Tip-Off: Approximately 7:05 p.m.
TV: ESPN2. Dan Shulman (play-by-play), Dick Vitale (color) and Doris Burke (sidelines) call the action. Dan Steir is the producer.
Radio: ISP/Deacon Radio Network. Stan Cotten (play-by-play) and Mark Freidinger (color analysis) call the action.
Records: Wake Forest is 2-1 after losing to Florida Thursday night. Texas Tech is 2-1 following an 81-46 loss to Syracuse Thursday night.
Rankings: Wake Forest is ranked 19th in the Associated Press poll and 18th in the ESPN/USA Today preseason polls. Texas Tech is receiving votes for the Associated Press poll.
Coaches: Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser (U.S. Merchant Marine Academy `72) is 96-36 (.727) in his fifth season with the Demon Deacons, 261-114 (.696) in his 13th season overall. Texas Tech coach Bob Knight (Ohio State `62) is 92-45 in his fifth season with the Red Raiders, 856-334 in 40 seasons overall.
Series: First meeting.
On Deck: Wake Forest will host UNC-Asheville Monday night a 7 p.m. in Joel Coliseum. Texas Tech will host Furman Wednesday night.
Officials: Announced on game day.
Deacons, Red Raiders Battle For 2k Classic Third Place Friday Night
Wake Forest and Texas Tech, both coming off their first loss of the season, meet Friday night in the 2k Classic consolation game at Madison Square Garden (7:05/ESPN2).
The Demon Deacons, ranked 19th by Associated Press and 18th by ESPN/USA Today, fell to unranked Florida, 77-72, Thursday night. Wake Forest committed 22 turnovers and made just 15-of-24 free throws in the loss to the Gators.
The Red Raiders, also 2-1, are coming off an 81-46 thrashing by Syracuse Thursday night. Tech beat San Jose State and Georgia Southern to advance to New York.
Wake Forest and Texas Tech have never previously met on the hardwood.
Demon Deacon Streaks, Trends
- Wake Forest is 16-2 in November under Skip Prosser. The Deacons are trying to avoid losing two November games for the first time ever.
- The Deacons have not lost back-to-back games since March of 2004.
- Wake had won three straight games in Madison Square Garden prior to Thursday's loss to Florida.
- Wake is shooting 54.7 percent as a team.
- Senior Eric Williams has scored in double figures in 20 straight games and he has scored at least 19 points in every game this season.
- Wake Forest has out-rebounded all three opponents this season. The Deacons have also committed more turnovers than their opponent in every game.
More From Thursday's Loss To Florida
Wake Forest's Loss Gave The Deacons....
... a 2-1 record -- the first time since 1998-99 that Wake Forest hasn't started the season 3-0
... an end to a three-game winning streak in Madison Square Garden and their first loss in MSG since Dec. 22, 2001 against St. John's
... a 11-8 all-time record in New York City
... a 75-23 record over the last four seasons combined
... an end to their 12-game winning streak in the monthof November and their first November loss since Nov. 23, 2001 against Syracuse in Madison Square Garden
... a 5-6 all-time recordagainst Florida and a 75-54 all-time mark against teams from the SEC
Miscellaneous
... Wake shot less than 50 percent for the first time this season, the first time since the Chattanooga game last year in the first round of the NCAA Tournament
... The Deacons, in fact, shot less than 50 percent in any half for the first time this season
... The Deacons committed at least 20 turnovers for the second straight game
... Wake scored less than 78 points for the first time this season
Senior Justin Gray
... one of Wake's most prolific three-point shooters, he made his first three-pointer of the season (the 225th of his career) in the first half and finished the game with four treys
... his four three-point field goals were the most by a Deacon player this season
... scored in double figures for the 72nd time in his career
Senior Trent Strickland
... made his first two three-point field goal attempts, which means he begins the season 6-of-6 from three-point range.
... scored in double figures for the third straight game and for the 21st time in his career
... has made at least one three-point field goal in every game this season
Senior Eric Williams
.... scored in double figures for the 20th consecutive game dating back to last season and for the 69th time overall in his career
... Williams' second point, the 1,226th of his career, moved him past Paul Long into 27th place on Wake's all-time career scoring list
... Williams' 16th point, the 1,240th of his career, moved him past Jackie Murdock into 26th place on Wake's all-time career scoring list
... scored 20-plus points for the second time this season and he has scored at least 19 in all three games
Wake Forest Familiar With New York
Playing in New York and Madison Square Garden has become a tradition for the Deacons.
- Wake Forest will play its eighth game in New York over the last five seasons.
- The Deacons have played in Madison Square Garden at least once in four of the last five seasons.
- Wake has won three of its last four games in New York. Last year the Deacons beat Providence and Arizona to clinch the Preseason NIT. The previous season Wake Forest opened the season with a win over Memphis in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic.
- The Deacons are 4-3 in MSG under coach Skip Prosser.
- Wake Forest has played 19 games in New York City, earning an 11-8 record.
- The Deacons have played four postseason games in MSG. WFU beat St. John's in NYC in the 1961 NCAA Tournament. In 1983, Wake lost to Fresno State in the NIT. In 2000, the Deacons beat NC State and Notre Dame to win the NIT.
Wake Forest At Madison Square Garden
11-17-05 Florida 2k Classic L 72-77
11-26-04 Arizona Preseason NIT W 63-60
11-24-04 Providence Preseason NIT W 79-67
11-20-03 Memphis Coaches vs. Cancer W 85-76
12-22-01 at St. John's L 62-70
11-23-01 Syracuse Preseason NIT L 67-74
11-21-01 Fresno State Preseason NIT W 62-61
3-30-00 Notre Dame NIT W 71-61
3-28-00 NC State NIT W ot 62-59
11-11-98 Temple Coaches vs. Cancer L 48-59
11-10-98 Illinois Coaches vs. Cancer W ot 75-73
3-28-83 Fresno State NIT L 62-86
12-29-82 St. John's Holiday Festival L 65-72
12-27-82 St. Joseph's Holiday Festival W 88-65
3-14-61 St. John's NCAA Tournament W 97-74
2-23-61 NYU L 61-70
1-10-57 Seton Hall W 64-55
1-11-55 Seton Hall W 71-63
1-5-54 Seton Hall L 78-89
Strickland Perfect From 3-Point Land
Wake Forest senior Trent Strickland entered the season having made less than 33 percent of his career three-point field goal attempts. This season, Strickland is a perfect 6-of-6 from behind the arc and has made at least one trey in every game.
