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Feb. 11, 2006

Final Stats

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) - Eric Williams had the go-ahead three-point play down the stretch and Harvey Hale later added two free throws, helping Wake Forest snap a six-game losing streak with a 59-56 victory over Charlotte on Saturday.

With a matchup at No. 2 Duke looming Tuesday, the Demon Deacons (13-11) desperately needed to gain some momentum. They've fallen to the bottom of the Atlantic Coast Conference with a 1-9 start, and even if this didn't count in the standings, it surely left them feeling much better.

Williams finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds and Trent Strickland also scored 18 points. Leading scorer Justin Gray, who was averaging 23 points over the previous eight games, shot 2-for-11 and was held to a season-low four points before fouling out.

It's the first time since last season he failed to reach double figures, when he had eight points in a loss to West Virginia in the second-round of the NCAA tournament.

Even without Gray, Wake Forest found a way.

Leemire Goldwire had 17 points for the 49ers (14-9), and teammate Curtis Withers added 12 points and 14 rebounds before fouling out. This was only their third regular season game against an ACC team in the past 10 years, and they fell to 1-3 in that span with their first game against the Deacons since 1987.

A three-point play by Charlotte's Courtney Williams tied it at 41 midway through the second half, and De'Angelo Alexander made a pair of free throws less than a minute later to give the 49ers their first lead since early in the first half.

That set up a finish that included one more tie and five lead changes. Williams, a notoriously poor free-throw shooter who came in converting 47 percent, banged in two to give Wake Forest a 47-45 lead before Goldwire swished a 3 to put Charlotte back in front.

When Williams went back to the line on the ensuing possession, he clanged both off the rim, but Strickland tipped in the second miss as he was fouled by Williams. His free throw pushed the Deacons ahead 50-49.

The margin was two when Goldwire came through again with another long range jumper, and the 49ers led 54-53 with less than 2 minutes remaining.

With Gray on the bench, Wake Forest went straight to Williams, who turned and banked in a short shot despite the foul to tie it again. This time, his free throw was true, and Hale added two more with 18 seconds left on the clock to increase the lead to three.

Goldwire and Williams then missed off-balanced 3-pointers as the clock wound down, and the Deacons held on.

Alexander, Charlotte's leading scorer at 17 points a game, had 12 while going 4-of-17 from the field.