Wake Forest University
Miami
Wake Forest Suffers 74-56 Defeat at Miami
2/18/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 18, 2012
Final Stats | Final Stats (PDF)
CORAL GABLES, Fla. - Miami used a 13-0 run early in the second half to pull away from Wake Forest, en route to a 74-56 defeat of the Demon Deacons on Saturday afternoon at the BankUnited Center.
Leading 43-42 three minutes into the second half, Miami (16-9, 7-5 ACC) scored 13 straight points over a span of five minutes to take control of what had been a tight game up until then. The Hurricanes continued to pull away, as the Deacons could not keep up with Miami's barrage of 3-pointers.
The Hurricanes went 12-for-31 (38.7 percent) from long range on the afternoon. Miami shot 46.2 percent (30-of-65) from the field overall, including 47.1 percent (16-of-34) in the second half.
Wake Forest (12-15, 3-10 ACC) shot well in the first half, going 13-of-25 for 52 percent, as the Deacons led by as many as six in the period. The teams were tied 34-34 at halftime.
C.J. Harris led three Deacons in double figures with 14 points to go along with a team-high five assists. Chase Fischer scored 12 points, hitting 2-of-4 from 3-point range, while Travis McKie chipped in 10 points and five rebounds on the afternoon.
Wake Forest shot 41.7 percent (20-of-48) from the field, including 7-for-21 (33.3 percent) from beyond the arc. The Deacons were 9-for-11 at the free throw line, while the Hurricanes were 2-for-3 at the line.
Durand Scott and Kenny Kadji led Miami with 18 points apiece, while Rion Brown came off the bench to score 11.
The Hurricanes outrebounded the Deacons, 39-24, and won the turnover battle with nine miscues compared to 12 for the Deacons.
Both teams started out hot with a flurry of points in the game's opening minutes. Wake Forest hit six of its first seven shots, as the Deacons built a 14-10 lead. Trailing 10-7, the Deacons scored seven straight points to begin an 11-3 run that pushed the visitors' advantage to 18-13 seven minutes into the game.
After Wake Forest scored back-to-back buckets to take a 22-16 lead-the Deacons' largest margin of the half-Miami used an 11-1 run to reclaim the lead at 27-23 at the 6:59 mark. The Deacons batted back, though, scoring five straight points to take back the lead, 28-27.
The teams played evenly the remainder of the half, as they headed into the break stalemated at 34-34. C.J. Harris hit a long pull-up 3-pointer to give Wake Forest a 34-32 advantage with just over a minute before halftime, but Miami's Kenny Kadji evened up the score with a dunk 20 seconds later.
The Deacons shot 52 percent (13-of-25) from the field during the first half, marking their highest single-half percentage of the ACC season. The Hurricanes shot 45.2 percent (14-of-31) and hit 6-of-17 from beyond the arc. Wake was 5-for-11 (45.5 percent) from 3-point range in the first half.
Miami forged ahead early in the second half. Leading 43-42 at the 16:36 mark, the Hurricanes went on a 13-0 run over the next five minutes to take a 56-42 lead. The run sparked a 27-8 run over a span of 11 minutes, as Miami took a 70-50 advantage with just under six minutes to play.
Wake Forest will be off during the upcoming mid-week, as the Deacons return to action next Saturday, Feb. 25, when they host Boston College. Wake Forest will be looking to sweep the season series from BC after posting a 71-56 win in Chestnut Hill last month. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Joel Coliseum. The game will be broadcast regionally on Fox Sports and can be heard on the Wake Forest Sports Network from IMG College.
