Wake Forest Athletics
Basketball Gameday - Wake Forest at Maryland
2/4/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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| Wake Forest at Maryland Saturday, February 5, 1:00 p.m. Comcast Center |College Park, Md. |
Wake Forest Game Notes  | Maryland Game Notes | Radio: Listen Live | TV: ACC Network (affiliates) | Tickets |
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - After suffering a mid-January loss to Maryland, Wake Forest is looking to gain a season split when the Demon Deacons travel to College Park to take on the Terrapins on Saturday afternoon at the Comcast Center.
Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. The game will be televised on the ACC Network and can also be heard on the Wake Forest Sports Network from IMG College and at WakeForestSports.com.
The Demon Deacons (8-14, 1-6) are coming off an 85-61 loss at Florida State on Tuesday in Tallahassee. Wake Forest could not consistently convert against one of the nation's top defenses, as the Seminoles forced the Deacons into 24 turnovers and held Wake with just 19 first-half points.
Freshman point guard Tony Chennault was a bright spot for Wake Forest, as he finished with 10 points and three assists in 20 minutes off the bench. After missing 17 games with a foot injury, it was Chennault's most productive night and most extensive action of the season.
Gary Clark led the Deacons on the night, scoring a game-high 16 points. Clark went 4-for-6 from 3-point range to increase his season mark to 63.1 percent from beyond the arc.
Maryland (14-8, 4-4 ACC) comes in following an 80-62 home loss to No. 5-ranked Duke on Wednesday in College Park. The setback snapped the Terrapins' three-game winning streak and dropped Maryland to 10-3 at the Comcast Center this season.
Maryland leads the all-time series with Wake Forest, 63-56. In last month's meeting, the Terps used a 15-0 run midway through the second half to take control. Travis McKie finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Carson Desrosiers had his most productive game to-date with nine rebounds and seven blocks. Desrosiers' seven blocks were one shy of Tim Duncan's school freshman record.
The Deacons won in their last trip to the Comcast Center, posting a 65-63 victory late in the 2008-09 campaign.
| STATISTICAL COMPARISON | ||
| Wake | MD | |
| Overall Record | 8-14 | 14-8 |
| ACC Record | 1-6 | 4-4 |
| Scoring Offense | 69.2 | 76.0 |
| Scoring Defense | 76.3 | 63.9 |
| Scoring Margin | -7.0 | +12.1 |
| Rebounding Offense | 34.0 | 39.6 |
| Rebounding Defense | 37.9 | 35.2 |
| Rebound Margin | -4.0 | +4.4 |
| FG Percentage | .430 | .475 |
| 3-pt FG Percentage | .378 | .333 |
| FT Percentage | .745 | .646 |
| FG Percentage Defense | .444 | .388 |
| 3-Pointers Per Game | 6.3 | 4.3 |
| Assists Ger Game | 11.5 | 16.5 |
| Turnovers Per Game | 15.9 | 14.0 |
| Turnover Margin | -3.8 | +2.2 |
| Assist/Turnover Ratio | 0.7 | 1.2 |
| Steals Per Game | 5.2 | 7.0 |
| Blocked Shots Per Game | 6.0 | 5.0 |
Next Up...
Wake Forest will return home to host the Miami Hurricanes on Wednesday, Feb. 9, at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast regionally on Fox Sports Net. The Deacons will then host rival NC State on Sunday, Feb. 13, at 1 p.m. The game will be televised on the ACC Network.
Last Time Out
Gary Clark connected on 4-of-6 attempts from 3-point range and scored 16 points, but Wake Forest fell at Florida State, 85-61, on Tuesday evening at the Tucker Center.
Clark's 16 points were a game-high, and he also had four rebounds and dished out an assist. The Sarasota, Fla. native is now shooting an outstanding 63.1 percent from beyond the arc this season (41-of-65).
Tony Chennault turned in his best performance of the season with 10 points, three assists and three rebounds in 20 minutes off the bench. It was his most extensive action since returning from the foot injury that sidelined him for 17 games.
Ty Walker had a solid defensive effort off the bench as well with six blocks, four rebounds and two steals.
After Wake Forest tied the game at 14 on Clark's 3-pointer with 9:40 left in the first half, Florida State used a 12-0 run over the next three minutes to take control of the game.
The Seminoles led by 12 (31-19) at halftime and did not let their advantage slip below double digits in the second half.
Florida State had a 17-5 advantage on the offensive boards that translated to a 21-3 difference in second-chance points.
Wake Forest out-shot FSU on the night. The Deacons shot 42.6 percent (23-of-54) from the field, while the Seminoles shot 41.7 percent (30-of-72).
The Deacons, however, had an off night at the charity stripe, going just 6-for-14 for 42.9 percent. The Seminoles connected on 15-of-25 free throws for 60 percent.
FSU's defense, one of the top-ranked units in the nation, forced 24 Wake Forest turnovers. The Noles scored 27 points off the Deacon miscues.
Wake Forest vs. Maryland - Jan. 12, 2011
Travis McKie's double-double and Carson Desrosiers' best performance to-date were not enough, as Wake Forest fell to 0-2 in conference play with a 74-55 loss to Maryland on Jan. 12 at the Joel Coliseum.
McKie posted his fifth double-double of the year with team-bests of 13 points and 10 rebounds. He also added two assists, two blocks and a steal on the night.
Desrosiers posted career-highs of nine rebounds, seven blocks and two assists. His seven blocks were one shy of Tim Duncan's freshman record and were the most by a Wake Forest freshman since Duncan recorded seven blocks at Virginia on Feb. 26, 1994.
C.J. Harris had 10 points and was 6-of-6 from the foul line, while Gary Clark dished out a team-best four assists.
As a team, the Deacons shot 31.7 percent (19-of-60) and were also 14-of-19 (73.7 percent) from the free throw line.
Maryland shot just 38.2 percent (26-of-68) from the field, but the Terrapins cleaned up the glass with 52 rebounds, including 22 on the offensive end.
After trailing 36-22 at halftime, Wake Forest fought back into the game early in the second half. The Deacons used a 14-6 run to cut Maryland's advantage to just six (42-36) at the 14:39 mark.
With the Terrapins clinging to a 46-40 advantage at the 12:03 mark, Maryland rattled off 15 straight points over the night three minutes to take a commanding 61-40 lead.
Wake Forest was unable to close the gap to less than 18 for the remainder of the game.
Jordan Williams posted a rare stat line, going just 2-for-13 from the field but managing to finish with a double-double of 13 points and 15 rebounds. Williams was 9-for-14 at the line.
What's Up Next...
Following the Maryland game, Wake Forest will host Miami on Wednesday, Feb. 9. The Hurricanes are 12-9 overall and 1-6 in the ACC entering Thursday's game against Georgia Tech. Miami will host Virginia on Feb. 5 before facing the Deacons.
Wake Forest leads the all-time series with Miami, 8-4. The Hurricanes won two of three meetings last season, including an 83-62 upset in the opening round of the ACC Tournament. The Deacons have never lost in five all-time games with the Canes at the Joel Coliseum.
Following the Miami game, the Deacons will host rival NC State on Sunday, Feb. 13. The Wolfpack handed the Deacons a 90-69 loss in their ACC opener on Jan. 8 in Raleigh.
NC State is 12-10 overall and 2-6 in the ACC entering its game at Duke on Saturday. The Deacons have won three straight home games over the Wolfpack and are looking to split the season series for a fourth-straight year.
Chennault Working His Way Back Into Form
Tony Chennault made his return from a broken left foot on Jan. 19 at Georgia Tech. Since then, the freshman point guard has been working his way back into playing shape.
Chennault made a huge stride in his return with his performance at Florida State on Tuesday. He played 20 minutes (his most extensive action of the year) and finished with 10 points on 4-of-9 shooting to go along with three assists and three rebounds--not to mention a few highlight reel-worthy plays.
In the four games since his return, Chennault has been the Deacons' first player off the bench twice. His insertion into the lineup allows sophomore C.J. Harris to slide over into his natural shooting guard position.
Chennault, who returned to full basketball activity on Jan. 17, missed a total of 17 games after breaking the fifth metatarsal in his left foot in the Demon Deacons' season opener against Stetson on Nov. 12.
The Philadelphia native sat out much of the preseason with a stress reaction in the foot. After breaking it in the season opener, Chennault had surgery three days later on Nov. 15.
Wake Boasts Some of ACC's Top Freshmen
Wake Forest's freshmen class was ranked as the No. 8 recruiting haul in the country last season. The young Deacs have wasted no time in trying to live up to the hype.
Forward Travis McKie and guard J.T. Terrell have proven to be two of the ACC's biggest impact rookies this season, and center Carson Desrosiers is coming on strong in league play.
McKie is an ACC Rookie of the Year candidate, as he has been one of the league's most consistent freshmen. McKie leads all rookies in rebounding (7.5 rpg) and double-doubles (6) and ranks second in scoring (12.6 ppg). He has led his team in scoring nine times, which tops all ACC freshmen.
Terrell is third among all conference freshmen in scoring at 12.0 points per game, trailing McKie for second by 14 points. Terrell's 32 points vs. Iowa are the most for an ACC freshman this season. He is also second among the rookies in leading his team in scoring (5 games).
Desrosiers ranks second among ACC freshmen in blocks with 1.7 per game. He only trails Georgia Tech's Daniel Miller. Desrosiers ranks second among all ACC players in blocks in conference games only, with 2.3 per game.
As a five-man class, Wake Forest's freshmen are averaging a combined 34.4 points per game. That figure makes them the fifth highest-scoring rookie class in Deacon history.
