Wake Forest University
USC Upstate
Wake Forest Wins Big Over USC Upstate
12/1/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 1, 2007
Final Stats | Quotes | Notes
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) -- James Johnson scored 15 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead Wake Forest to a 72-48 win over South Carolina-Upstate on Saturday.
Harvey Hale and Chas McFarland each added 12 points for the Demon Deacons (5-1), and Ishmael Smith scored 10.
Luke Payne scored 15 points to lead the winless Spartans (0-7), who are coached by his father, former Wake Forest player Eddie Payne.
Wake Forest entered the game shooting 41 percent from the floor. The Demon Deacons were only slightly better against the Spartans 45 percent, but S.C.-Upstate struggled through a 17-for-52 afternoon for 33 percent. Wake Forest held a commanding 45-29 rebounding edge.
The double-double was the third of the season for Johnson, who had 14 points and 14 rebounds in a loss to Charlotte earlier in the week.
The Demon Deacons had trouble shaking the Spartans early and did not grab the lead for keeps until Johnson's 3-point shot put Wake Forest up 22-21 with 6:19 remaining in the opening half. That basket sparked a 19-5 run by the Demon Deacons, who led 38-26 at halftime.
Wake Forest outscored the Spartans 11-2 in the first four minutes of the second half to secure the game.
S.C.-Upstate, in its first season as an NCAA Division I member, has yet to play a home game.
