February 23, 2005
BOX SCORE
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Sixth-ranked Wake Forest scored the first 15 points of the game during the opening 4:28 en route to an 88-47 men’s basketball victory past visiting Longwood University Wednesday night at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Taron Downey led five double-figure scorers for the Demon Deacons (23-4) with his team-high 13 points, while sophomore Michael Jefferson/Chesterfield (Meadowbrook) scored a game-high 14 points for the Lancers (1-29). Longwood will play its season-finale next Wednesday, March 2, hosting Utah Valley State College at 7 p.m. in Farmville’s Willett Hall.
Wake Forest jumped out to the 15-0 advantage behind seven quick points from Chris Ellis and five early points from Downey. Jefferson finally put Longwood on the board at 15:26 with a jumper from the right wing. The talented Demon Deacons extended their margin with a 24-3 run to lead 39-5 with 6:47 remaining before halftime. All-America candidate Chris Paul sparked the run with a pair of three-pointers and two assists.
Wake, ranked #6 in this week’s ESPN/USA TODAY Coaches Poll, took its largest lead of the first half at 47-7 (4:36), and led 57-22 at the intermission as the Demon Deacons made 6-9 three-pointers in the opening half. The hosts out-rebounded Longwood 32-12 in the first half, including 17 offensive rebounds resulting in 17 second-chance points. Wake also forced 11 Lancer turnovers that turned into 18 points for the nationally-ranked opponent from the prestigious Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Longwood narrowed the margin to 61-27 with 16:54 left on another jumper from Jefferson. Wake Forest, however, made sure the Lancers would not climb any closer with a 17-5 run to lead 78-32 at 9:07. The Demon Deacons substituted freely throughout the contest, and every available player for each program played in the game.
Jefferson added five rebounds and two assists to his game-high 14 points for Longwood. Sophomore Maurice Sumter/Alexandria (T.C. Williams) had nine points and two steals for the Lancers, while freshman Lamar Barrett/Providence, R.I. (St. Andrews) finished with eight points and four rebounds. Junior Chad Kosmo/Northport, Maine (Maine Central Institute) matched his career-high with five blocks to go along with seven rebounds and two points. LU shot 28% (16-58) from the field, including 23% (5-22) on three-pointers, and 83% (10-12) at the line.
Downey added four assists to his team-high 13 points for Wake Forest, including 5-5 free throws. Eric Williams finished with a double-double of 12 points and a game-high 11 rebounds for the Demon Deacons, while Ellis added 11 points and eight rebounds. Paul had 10 points, four assists, and three steals, and Kyle Visser came off the bench to score 10 points. WF shot 46% (30-66) from the field, including 54% (7-13) on three-pointers, and 57% (21-37) at the line. The Demon Deacons out-rebounded Longwood 52-34 and forced 25 Lancer turnovers while finishing with 30 points off turnovers.
It was Longwood’s first-ever meeting against Wake Forest in men’s basketball, as well as the program’s first-ever contest against a member institution of the ACC. Unfortunately, the loss was also a school-record 18th consecutive setback this season while the 41-point difference is the largest margin of defeat this season for the Lancers. With the one home game left, Longwood completes the campaign winless away from home (0-20).
