Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 20, 1994 TAG: 9403200107
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By ED HARDIN LANDMARK NEWS SERVICE
DATELINE: LEXINGTON, KY. LENGTH: Medium
The Demon Deacons went more than eight minutes without a field goal, missing seven shots and turning over the ball four times as fourth-seeded Kansas erased a one-point deficit and won going away.
The Jayhawks will play top-seeded Purdue in a Southeast Regional semifinal Thursday in Knoxville, Tenn.
Fifth-seeded Wake Forest finished 21-12 after starting the season with a loss to Division II Alaska-Anchorage.
"It was a great year," said senior Marc Blucas. "But right now I don't feel so good."
The Deacons led most of the way Saturday, building a six-point lead on several occasions and threatening to put Kansas in a serious hole. But Trelonnie Owens, who suffered through a terrible first-round game (going 1-for-9) was worse in his second-round game.
Owens missed 12 of 13 shots in his final college game.
"I've never had anything like this happen before," Owens said. "I don't know what it was. I never figured it out."
Kansas figured out Wake's defense with about nine minutes left in the game and slowly pulled away. The Deacons scored on a short jumper by Randolph Childress with 9 minutes, 5 seconds left to take a 49-48 lead then came unglued. The Jayhawks (27-7) went on an 11-0 run that changed the game.
"The last 10 minutes was all Kansas," Childress said. "They just did everything right down the stretch."
Jayhawks guard Jacque Vaughn took control of what had been a plodding offense, scoring 11 of Kansas' final 13 points. Wake trailed 69-53 before Rusty LaRue hit a 3-pointer with a minute left, ending another Jayhawks run.
"I thought Kansas played really well the whole 40 minutes but outstanding the last nine," said Dave Odom, the Deacons' coach.
Wake controlled the first half, playing flawlessly at times and leading 30-26 going to the locker room. But even then, the Deacons were struggling. Owens failed to score in the first half, missing all five of his shots.
Odom refused to change his game plan, believing Owens would warm up eventually.
"We tried to establish him in the first part of the second half," the coach said. "He was struggling with his shot, and Kansas certainly had a lot to do with that. We missed his scoring badly."
Owens missed his first shot of the second half, then scored on a turnaround jumper 30 seconds later, giving Wake a 34-28 lead. At the other end, Owens drew a foul from frustrated Richard Scott, Kansas' biggest weapon inside, and the Deacons seemed to have the Jayhawks in trouble.
Kansas stayed close, however, forcing Wake into four turnovers and all but eliminating the Deacons' biggest weapon - the 3-point shot. Wake hit only five of 18 from beyond the arc - two in the second half.
"I think our defense took them out of a lot of things," said Kansas guard Steve Woodberry. "They got a little frustrated."
Woodberry led all scorers with 18 points and played defense against Childress for much of the second half. Childress, who re-injured a sore shoulder early in the second half, scored 12 points for Wake, missing 10 of 14 shots.
by CNB