University of Richmond
Wake Forest
Richmond Falls to No. 1 Wake Forest, 90-73
12/04/2004 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 4, 2004
By AARON BEARD
AP Sports Writer
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) - Eric Williams had a season-high 21 points Saturday and No. 1 Wake Forest rebounded from its first loss by beating Richmond 90-73.
Justin Gray scored 18 of his 22 points in the first half for the Demon Deacons (6-1), coming off a lopsided loss at Illinois that almost certainly will cost them the No. 1 ranking next week. They never trailed Saturday, shooting 53 percent and playing improved defense before heading into a nine-day break for final exams.
Jermaine Bucknor scored 14 points to lead the Spiders (3-2). Kevin Steenberge, Richmond's leading scorer at 18 points per game, managed just four points and was never a factor.
The Demon Deacons needed this win after Wednesday's 91-73 loss to the fifth-ranked Illini. In that game, Illinois shot 56 percent, hit 11 3-pointers and led by as many as 32 points in the second half.
As if the Demon Deacons needed any help remembering the loss, a group of vocal Richmond fans chanted "Illinois! Illinois!" at one point in the first half.
But the Demon Deacons, who let the Illini do just about anything they wanted, played better defensively against Richmond. The Spiders shot just 39 percent, including a 3-for-14 stretch early in the second half that helped the Demon Deacons build a comfortable lead.
Wake Forest had little trouble on offense, shooting 60 percent in the second half and going 22-for-31 from the line.
The Demon Deacons were their own worst enemy early, committing eight turnovers in the first 10 minutes that helped Richmond hang around. Once they started protecting the ball, they gradually increased that margin to as much as 23 points late in the game.
Leading 39-30 at the break, Wake Forest scored on its first three possessions after halftime to push the lead to 15. Williams came up big in that spurt, hitting two free throws after being fouled inside and throwing down a dunk.
Richmond got no closer than 10 points the rest of the way, and Wake Forest turned the final minutes into a display of its high-scoring transition offense.
