Hoops tops Canes, falls to Wake on road
By Christopher Gooley / Student Publications
On Wednesday Tech lost 98-91 at No. 4 Wake Forest. Tech is now 7-8 in ACC play and hosts Clemson tomorrow at 1:30 p.m.
On Saturday Tech rallied from a 59-51 deficit with eight minutes remaining to top Miami 76-72. The win pushed the Jackets' ACC record to 7-7.
Jarrett Jack scored 21 points for Tech in the victory, and Will Bynum nailed seven free throws in the final two minutes to secure the victory.
Tech's freshmen played a large role in the victory. Jeremis Smith played 24 minutes and led the Jackets with eight rebounds. Anthony Morrow hit four three-pointers off of the bench in 18 minutes of play. Ra'Sean Dickey added 12 points in 17 minutes as well.
The Hurricanes were led by 24 points from Guillermo Diaz and 20 points from Robert Hite in the loss.
Riding high after a road victory at the Convocation Center in Coral Gables, the Jackets headed to Winston-Salem, N.C. to take on the No. 4 Wake Forest Demon Deacons on Wednesday night.
The Jackets got off to a hot start with B.J. Elder hitting four of his first five shots from the field and sprinted out to an early lead against the Demon Deacons.
The Jackets led 45-37 at halftime and opened the second half with an Elder three that streteched the lead to 11.
Wake Forest stormed back and took the lead 73-72 with a Chris Paul basket with 7:29 remaining and never looked back.
Wake Forest was strong from the line at the end of the contest to hold off the Jackets and end the game with a 98-91 win.
Demon Deacons forward Vytas Danelius scored 17 points and added 11 rebounds to lead his team to victory in his final home game as a senior. Eric Williams continued to play well against the Jackets and scored 21 points for Wake Forest.
The Demon Deacons finished the year without losing a single game at home. The win avenged Wake Forest's loss to Tech earlier in the year in Atlanta, and it also keeps the Demon Deacons just behind North Carolina in the race for the ACC title.
Jack led Tech in the loss with 23 points. Elder continued his comeback with 22 points and Luke Schenscher added 18 points and nine rebounds in the losing effort for the Jackets.
The loss puts Tech at 7-8 in ACC play and 16-10 overall. It is critical for Tech to defeat Clemson at home on Saturday to finish league play with a .500 record and feel more at ease with regard to its chances to make the NCAA Tournament.
The game will be played at 1:30 p.m. in Alexander Memorial Coliseum. The ACC Tournament begins March 10 at the MCI Center in Washington D.C.
