Wake Forest University
Arkansas
Deacons Hold Off Arkansas for 88-85 Win
12/4/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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Dec. 4, 2015
By Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@TieDyeNation)
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The Wake Forest men's basketball team opened a season-long four-game homestand with an 88-85 victory over Arkansas at LJVM Coliseum on Friday night. The win upped the Demon Deacons' 2015-16 record to 6-2.
Devin Thomas led five Deacs in double figures by picking up his fifth double-double of the year with 20 points and 12 rebounds.
The Deacons came out emerged from an up-tempo first half with a 48-39 lead, its largest halftime lead of the season. After the Razorbacks negated a six-point Wake Forest lead, a Greg McClinton basket and three-consecutive 3-pointers by Cornelius Hudson gave the hosts a 32-23 advantage and forced Arkansas to call timeout.
Doral Moore matched his season-high for points with six in the half, while Mitchell Wilbekin posted 10 points of his own and Hudson had a game-high 13.
In the second stanza, a Mitchell Wilbekin 3-pointer gave the Demon Deacons their biggest lead at any point this season at 55-41.
The Razorbacks answered, however, by cutting the lead in half with a seven-point run before going on a 14-2 outburst to gain a 66-65 edge.
The Deacons responded with a Konstantinos Mitoglou 3-pointer and two old-fashioned three-point plays by Thomas, but hot shooting by the visitors kept it close.
The teams went into the final minute of the game and Mitoglou knocked down a shot from behind the arc with 45.2 seconds remaining to put the Deacs ahead for good.
Arkansas made it 86-85 on a Manuale Watkins jumper, but could not hit a game-tying shot at the buzzer after free throws by Bryant Crawford and Hudson increased the Demon Deacons' lead to three points.
Thomas recorded 12 of his 20 points and seven of his 12 rebounds in the closing 20 minutes. Hudson finished with a season-best 17 points.
The win over the Razorbacks was the Deacons' first over an SEC opponent since 2006 and avenged an 83-53 loss at the hands of Arkansas a year ago.
Wake Forest next plays on Dec. 15 when it hosts UNC-Greensboro. The Deacs will cap their homestand against Coastal Carolina and No. 12 Xavier.
MOVING UP THE RECORD BOOKS
• Senior forward Devin Thomas recorded his 26th career double-double, surpassing Deacon legend Rodney Rogers for eighth in Wake Forest history.
• This marked Thomas' fifth double-double in eight games this season.
• It should also be noted that Thomas' 26 career double-doubles leads all active ACC players.
• With 20 points, this marks the 5th time this season and the 14th time in his career that Thomas has eclipsed 20 points in a game.
WINNING THE CLOSE ONES
• With the three-point win, Wake Forest improved to 5-0 in games decided by five points or fewer.
• The Demon Deacons were 5-5 in such games a year ago.
HELP FROM THE BENCH
• Sophomore guard Cornelius Hudson and freshman forward John Collins combined for 27 points off the Wake Forest bench.
REVENGE FROM LAST YEAR
• The Deacons' 88-85 win over Arkansas marks a dramatic turnaround from last season, when Wake Forest lost by 30 points to the Razorbacks in Fayetteville.
• Wake Forest's last win over an SEC team was an 88-78 triumph over Vanderbilt on Nov. 21, 2006.
GAME CONTROL
• Despite the close final score, Wake Forest controlled much of the game, leading by as many as 14 points, a season-high, in the second half while Arkansas' largest lead was only two.
• The Deacons are now 5-0 on the year when leading at halftime.
CAREER/SEASON HIGHS
• Freshman center Doral Moore matched career highs with six points and four rebounds.
• Freshman guard Bryant Crawford notched a career-high nine assists.
• Crawford's 9 assists are the most by a Wake Forest freshman since Ish Smith in the 2006-07 season.
• Sophomore guard Cornelius Hudson scored a season-high 17 points off the bench.
3-POINT ADVANTAGE
• Despite shooting only 30.5 percent from 3-point range coming into the game, Wake Forest made a season-high nine 3-pointers, shooting 40.9% from long distance on Friday.
SOLID FROM THE LINE
• Wake Forest used a perfect 11-for-11 showing from the free throw line in the first half to race to a 48-39 halftime lead, its largest halftime lead of the year.
